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Customer Focus - Just 5 Simple Things You Need to Think About
In all the businesses we conduct, there are customers. And they are the life-blood to us. It's TRUE! Despite all the million and one things we are doing - we've got to have paying customers! Nevertheless, just five things will dictate success or...
How To Buy Surplus Retail Products Without Getting Burned!
One of the challenges for new businesses, as well as for those who have made it past the
startup stage is consistent and reliable product supply. There are several ways a business
can purchase products: Auctions, Wholesalers, Wholesale Lots,...
How To Realistically Set Your Fees - Part 2
Effect of Expenses
The last article examined how to calculate your realistic billable hours. If you remember, we arrived at approximately 1100 hours in a year. To earn our mythical $46,000 per year, you needed to bill at a rate of $42 per...
Moving On: Powerful Tips For Selling Your Home
Maybe you're moving to a larger home to accommodate a growing family, relocating for a new career opportunity, or purchasing a townhouse for retirement. Whatever the reason for the move, you'll need to take the necessary steps to sell your home...
Why Communication Skills Don't Work In Customer Service
Every time my firm conducts communication skills training, we know someone is going to object.
“That doesn't work. Everybody's heard of active listening. You can't use that stuff anymore.”
And we have to admit, there's a lot of truth in...
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Customer Service - The Infection of Mediocrity
In recent months, I've had the worst experiences with my phone
company, the post office, my bank, fast food drive through
services, the grocery store, department stores and local gas
stations.
I expect to receive what I pay for. I expect that what I pay
for will be provided to me as promised. I expect that, in the
case of human error, the service that I've contracted with will
step up, accept responsibility and 'do the right thing' - or at
the very least - apologize for their error.
Am I asking too much?
I expect that when I call a number advertised as a Customer
Service number that I would eventually be able to speak with a
human being. I don't want to punch in a multiple array of
numbers, I don't want to be placed on hold, I don't want to be
transferred only to learn that I now must repeat myself - again
- and again. I do not want to have a conversation with a
computer system.
When I do speak with a Customer Service representative, I want
this person to listen to what I have to say. I do not want to
hear body noises that indicate I am either irritating this
person or boring them to death.
I want this person to either tell me they have the power to
correct their company's error or at the very least, put me in
touch with a person that can. I mean, I did call the 'Customer
Service Department'.
I want this person to speak clearly - I don't know, is it asking
too much to understand a customer service representative?
When I go through the drive-through at a fast food restaurant -
which is not often but at times necessary in order to keep on
schedule with appointments and not fall over with a depleted
sugar level, I would like to find that what I paid for and what
I clearly ordered, ended up in my bag.
When I go to the grocery store, shopping carefully for best
prices and shopping with my families likes and dislikes in mind
so that I end up with the best ingredients to prepare the week's
menu with love, I'd like to see the prices on each item. I'd
also like to trust that the grocery store does not keep outdated
or rotting fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products. I don't
like to have to guess.
When I go to the checkout, I'd like the person taking a chunk of
my monthly budget, money I worked hard for, to smile at me and
say 'Hello.' I'd like this person to turn the register screen
towards me so that I can view the prices being scanned. I'd like
this person to take my money and say 'Thank you'. I'd like this
person to count back my change - the old fashion way.
I don't want to have to learn how to read and analyze bar codes.
I don't want to scan my own groceries using a computer system
that has the edacity to argue with me. But are these computers
the answer to mediocre employees? Are the computers more
pleasant to work with than another human being? I'd like to
think that is not true.
I want to know that when I pay for first class mail that it gets
delievered as promised. I want to receive my mail in the same
timely fashion. I want all the services that I pay for to
fullfill their end of the service agreement. I want my history
of being a loyal customer to mean something to these companies.
I miss having my gas pumped for me. I miss those nice young men
offering to check my oil, check the air in my tires and the ever
so nice gesture of cleaning my windshield. I miss being able to
get directions at a gas station, miss being able to find free
air to pump up my tires. I miss the human touch in all segments
of the service industry and I mostly miss the nice, caring human
interactions that we once took for granted.
Are we (the consumer) to blame for poor customer service? Have
corporations responded to our ever-increasing demands for speed?
Have we decided as a society that it is easier to deal with
computers, keypads and debit cards than to use human beings? Is
it impossible for the current work force in the
'service
industry' to learn good manners? To live up to the tag lines of
'we care', 'the customer is always right' 'we do whatever it
takes'?
I want to be waited on by those friendly smiling faces on their
TV commercials. Where are those people?
The standards within every segment of our lives have been
infected with mediocrity. We've made it easy to pass children
from one grade to another - regardless of they've learned how to
read.
We accept the fact that politicians lie to us. We don't even get
upset about it any more, it's the norm.
We make it easy for our kids to receive immediate gratification
as opposed to working towards a goal. If something is too hard,
we remove the obstacles rather than teaching our children how to
overcome the obstacle.
When our parent's qualify for government assistance and that
help is less than desirable, we are told in so many words to be
grateful that you got any help - low income people are, I guess,
not suppose to expect excellent care and service.
When we participate in polls only to have our fearless leaders
publicly state comments that say, 'Well, we don't listen to
these polls, the average American doesn't understand the
complexities of ....' We accept it and let them continue
representing us.
I don't know, am I asking too much? Is it too much to ask that
those in service learn good manners and at the same time be
equipped with the ability to use common sense? Is it too much to
ask that companies, including government entities and the
representatives of both, tell the truth? One of our senior
readers submitted to our words of wisdom section with a sad
commentary, entitled, 'The Death of Common Sense'.
What is your answer to this ever-increasing infection of
mediocrity? How would you cure this disease? Send in your
customer service nightmares and how you would fix it and we will
publish your thoughts and ideas in an upcoming ezine. Also
-PLEASE - send us your positive experiences that you've had. I'd
much rather report on the positives and point people towards
excellent service histories than to focus on the negatives. Send
your submissions to marshajones@wowway.com
Fotenote: Senior
Approved Services requires each business within our network
to prove (through our independent consumer-driven survey
process) that they do what they promise, that they do deliver
service with the highest of customer service expectations. Our
business depends on the fact that consumers want this level of
excellence and that elder care providers will (and do) respond
to this demand.
I am very proud to recommend and endorse each and every business
in our network of services. Whether you use our free service of
helping you and your family coordinate services by calling our
toll free number at 877-620-6448 or you self-select from our
directory of approved services, you can do so in complete
confidence. Each of these businesses have met or surpassed a 90%
or higher customer satisfaction rating.
Next time you need a service or your client needs a service that
you do not provide, why guess? Choose a Certified Senior Approved
Service! If you are forced to look for a service in your
local community that is not part of our exclusive network of
services, ask them 'Are you Senior Approved?' The more often the
business community hears directly from you, the valued consumer,
that you want this independent assurance of excellence prior to
contracting with them, the more open they will be to our process.
Who knows? This system we've developed to help consumers reach
the best of the best may catch on and become an industry
standard in other segments of service?
About the author:
Founder of Senior
Approved Services
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| The most authoritiative news in Canada featuring articles from The Globe and Mail, breaking news coverage, national news, international news, sports, ... |
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