Tweet

Adventures in Customer Service

Guest post by: Barry Roberts

Article Overview: Funny, sad and all true tales of how NOT to deal with customers!

Adventures in Customer Service

"Customer Service", there's a term that's lost its meaning over the years. I've been in discussions with "customer service" reps where I've actually had to stop and ask, "Excuse me, what is your title?" "I'm a customer service representative." is the usual answer.

"Really", I'll reply, "Have you ever considered the meaning of that phrase and of each word individually? You see, I'm not feeling like you're treating me the way a customer should be treated and I'm surely not getting any service." I'm guessing you've all been there, and some of them are so...... Anyway, here are some examples, in chronological order, of some experiences I've had recently.

We purchased a new refrigerator, American made from a major appliance manufacturer. Not too many months later we began having trouble with one of the doors. Still under warranty, we called the manufacturer for service. First of all, and I've no ideas why, she (the rep.) had all sorts of trouble understanding and spelling my address, which is simply (something like) North Side Drive. So, having passed that hurdle, I offered my explanation of the problem.

First I told her the make, model number and serial number of the refrigerator and then explained, "The door handle keeps coming off."

"I see, will you hold a moment, please?" (Wait, wait, and wait some more) "Sir, is that the front door or the back door of your refrigerator?"

WHAT?

Next case...

We had been having no end of troubles with our telecommunications service (TV, phone, internet) company. Their customer service people are inattentive, have a bad attitude and are inept. After way too much of this, I wrote a letter to the CEO of the company to enlist his help. About a week later I received a phone call from a "President's Office Customer Liaison". I told her what I had experienced and asked her why I shouldn't cancel my service with them and move on to a competitor.

She proceeded with all of the virtues of their company and assured me, that I could call her directly in the future if I ever had another problem and she, personally, would make sure the issue was resolved at once.

I had three occasions to call her. Each time I did, I got her voice mail and she never returned my calls. I cancelled the service and have never received a follow-up call.

Here's one more for you...

The lease on my car was coming to an end. I was asked to call to arrange for an inspector to come to my home to examine the vehicle. I called and scheduled the appointment for the following Monday, between 8AM and Noon.

"Four hours is kind of a big window of time," I said. "Is it possible to narrow that down a bit, or perhaps the examiner could call me as his day progresses on Monday to give me a better idea of when to expect him?"

"Oh," she said, he'll call you when he's in your driveway."

"Why would he call me when he's in my driveway? Why doesn't he just knock on my door? You see, I want a little heads-up as to when I might expect him"

"I don't know sir...that's just what they do. They call you when they are in your driveway"

WOW! To me this is all scarier than all of the ghosts and goblins of Halloween.

Got any stories of your own? You can email them to me at info@BarryRoberts.com

Related Articles
  Team Building Games and Adventures
  Too Much Buzz, Not Enough Nectar?
  What is an Adventure Travel Agent
  Tips for Improving Customer Service
  Customer Service Starts with a Can Do Attitude: Five Secrets to Winning, Creating Repeat Customers
  Would you get A Tattoo of the General Motors’ Logo?
  Answering Service Customer Service Agents
  Why customer service is the most important part of any business
  The Role of Customer Service in Business Success
  Extraordinary Customer Service: Where Does It Begin?
  Satisfactory Customer Service is No Longer Acceptable
  What Should Your Customer Service Training Cost in Terms of Money, Time and Results?
  3 Tips for Customer Service Excellence
  Are Nice Customers Ruining Your Business
  Are You Serving Your Customers Well?
  Are your people providing STAR service?
  From Complaint to Raving Fans
  Hey Where Did My Favorite Employee Go?
  Customer Service Jobs: Improve Your Skills
  The Important P`s of Customer Service

Article Tags: Customer service, customers, service



Related Forum Posts
Re: Service Or Product? - I agree with starting a Service-based Business in the economy. Here is what I think is critical: 1. Researching that your Service business has a market. 2. Marketing the Service with as much leverage as possible. 3. Product-izing the Service (aka Package Expert Knowledge). This will only help elevate you as "the" expert in your niche and make you accessible to people in different price points.
Marketers, Learn What You Can, Cannot Control Online - I am a Customer Service Representative in my company so naturally every once and a while I get angry customers fed up with my companies policies. Oh! I remember one day on my way home from school I was walking by a gas station and there was a man with a huge cardboard sign outside a small car mechanic business telling people not to go there because they are crooks. I am pretty sure they lost tons of business. I know my mama kept away from there after I told her about it. I found it pretty funny. I wonder if the guy got arrested or fined though....
Wearing different hats in Business - I have a business that produces beautiful custom rugs for home and business environments. Different hats that I'm wearing... Rug Fabrication - 10 [i:21cr28m8](partially outsourced to an outfit here in the US)[/i:21cr28m8] Customer Service / Sales - 8-10 Bookkeeping - 1 Marketing - 6 Website development - 5 [i:21cr28m8](mainly outsourced)[/i:21cr28m8] SEO, SEM - 6-8 Accounting - [i:21cr28m8](outsourced)[/i:21cr28m8]
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Who Said Twitter Doesn't Work...? - Last month, the BBC World Service programme, The Strand, featured 21 year-old Icelandic pianist/composer Olafur Arnalds. Arnalds achieved extraordinary success through his internet-led project to compose 7 tunes in 7 days, post them on his website and then post links to it via TWITTER. As a result his website got thousands of visitors eager to listen to his music, catapulting him to fame and bringing his music to the attention of the BBC, who featured an interview with him on the World Service programme, The Strand! So who says Twitter doesn't work? (HINT: It does help if you have something uniquely your own that other people want to get hold of...)


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Build Corporate Credit for Your Small Business

20 MORE Must-Have Search Engine Marketing Tools

Unspoken Yet Important Rules for Book Proposals

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.