2/9/2010 2:27 PM
Min wrote:
Ok, I know many companies are trying to cut back on their cost factors, but is it worth losing clients? I bought a new computer and was having problems with it, so I called tech support to try and get it fixed.
Well, first it took me 20 minutes to get someone on the phone and when I did, I could not understand what she was saying; I said not to be rude but am it possible to have someone else step in on the situation because I am having problems understanding what you are asking. No I could not. I said how about a Manager, "They do not talk to the clients. Again she started again, now two hours had gone by, I hung up, and maybe another day would be better.
I wait another day and I get someone that I do not understand again. I had a customer number so he would be able to just look that up for the problem...He did, but, he said we have to start all over again. I can feel the smoke coming out my ears. I said I just bought a computer two months ago and spent a lot of money also that is all we use in the house between other laptops and printers. No more for them. Again, another two hours and still nothing. I explained this again THAT I NEED THIS FOR WORK...
I was fed up and decided to call their Corporate Office and talk to someone in the Client Resolution. She was just as rude, she told me I need to follow the steps the reps are asking me to do and that is all she can do, and again a Manager would not talk to me.
I called and they are sending me a box to send back to checkout and it will take 7-9 weeks. Again I stated I needed for work…We will see if I get the box ever gets here, what will be in the box, will the Laptop get fixed? These answers I have no clue.
One thing I know I will never buy anything else by made by HP! And, I will make sure I let others know of my horror stories. Reply to this
11/28/2009 2:35 AM
Aidan wrote:
I regularly eat at my favourite restaurant called Campagne in Kilkenny, Ireland. In addition to the amazing food, the service leaves a lasting impression that ensures you want to come back. Nothing is too much trouble and the staff seem to know what you are thinking just before you have to ask for anything. Overall, the food and service combined deliver a fantastic experience.
~ Aiden won a signed copy of The Service Journey for submitting this! Congratulations! Reply to this
11/2/2009 9:39 AM
MSS wrote:
The first thing that bothers me when I call a company is all the different buttons you have to hit to get to the group you need to talk to. Then when I do get the person I want to talk to they put me on hold. I sit there and watch how long it is taking from when I first made the call until I finaly get my question answered. Then the person gets back on the phone (no apology) and says I have the wrong department and then gives me the phone number of whom I am trying to contact and does not offer to transfer the call..Bye, Bye for this Company. What happened to respecting the customers's time? Reply to this
9/10/2009 1:20 PM
Charlie Lellman wrote:
What a revealing survey - I imagine stuff like this gives management types a lot of sleepless nights! I know that this kind of consumer behavior is relentlessly tracked regardless of the state of the economy, and the results are probably similar in good times - although the bad times we are in exaggerate the behavior of consumers. Time for companies to invest heavily in their customer service? Reply to this
8/31/2009 11:10 AM
Karin W wrote:
I called on August 10th to add voicemail to my new business line! After 15 business days and 12 people later, on Saturday there was a knock on my door. It was Simon, the AT&T repair man! No one told me someone from repair was going to come out, I’m glad I was home!! Well, after he spent 2 hours on the phone with programming (because there was nothing that needed repair on my phone or lines), it FINALLY got fixed!! It had been programmed wrong multiple times!! All those people I talked to said they would call me back to check in the next day, NO ONE EVER DID!!! All of these people were so very nice and personable, but couldn’t execute!!! FINALLY a guy who didn’t even know why he was dispatched to my house was able to get it fixed for me!! I wasn’t going to let him leave until it was fixed!!!
I wish Dave Carroll would write a song about my experience!!! Reply to this
8/18/2009 7:05 AM
Erica W wrote:
As a follow up to today's blog entry, I love shopping at Brighton Collectibles. They always ask me if I would like a coffee or a bottled water (and the bottled water has a cute Brighton label on it). They serve fresh cookies and wrap up my purchases in a pretty bag with a matching ribbon. They come around the counter to personally hand me my package and to wish me a good rest of my day. The positive shopping experience is worth the cost of the jewelry! Reply to this
7/21/2009 3:09 PM
Laura P wrote:
This is a great posting. You are absolutely on point saying that us as consumers most definitely compare the service we receive on a daily basis to those companies that provide best-in-class service. It's pretty sad how many services providers fall short when it comes to service. There is SOOOO much they can learn from your experience and wisdom. I recently went on a cruise and it was amazing the exceptional level of service that I received from the moment I arrived to the dock. I was thinking to myself how rare it is to get this type of exceptional service and how nice it would be if we did get it all the time.. or at least some of the time.
Here's a little taste of the type of service that the ALL of the employees of this cruise line CONSISTENTLY deliver. I emphasis the word "consistent" as I've cruised with this line several times before and they've always exceeded expectations and I know what to expect as they never seem to falter on the level of service. That's why I've traveled with them 6 times as I know that the service is going to be amazing.
From the time we stepped foot on the Pier we were politely greeted by employees who were extremely organized and made the embarkation process a breeze... now that's a challenging feat considering there's about 3000 people checking in. Everytime we passed an employee whether the person was part of the wait staff, room stewards, maintenance work to the cruise director employees each greeted you with a big smile and asked if there was anything they could do to make our stay more pleasurable.
Our room steward was amazing... as we were walking into our room the first time she came right up and greeted us by name... She knew who we were and she even welcomed us back on board. And it didn't stop there. She was always so attentive to our needs. The service that this cruise line delivers is top notch.
Even our wait staff at dinner time was AMAZING. The second night of dining with them they automatically brought us our favorite beverage without us even asking and they would do little things like that throughout our dining experience with them.
We never encountered anyone who was rude or not willing to provide the best service possible.
I was so happy to complete the survey they provided as I couldn't wait to express my thanks and happiness. I would recommend and have recommended many people to travel with Princess Cruise Lines. Now if only other service providers provided this level of service, despite the industry. Delivering excellent service should be a key focus for any organization... cruise line, car dealership, restaurant... you name it.
When I receive great service I love to tell others and what better advertisement for the company than a referral.
Delivering great service takes hard work and consistency but the benefits are endless.
Couldn't have said it better myself Laura. THANK YOU! Susan Reply to this
7/10/2009 8:00 AM
Karin W wrote:
It's not rocket science and yet so many people/companies need to take heed to this information!! Thanks Susan!
And thank you Karin. It's usually not the big things that trip us up, but the small. Have a great day! Reply to this
6/24/2009 6:12 AM
Anonymous wrote:
Went out to relax and have a nice dinner with friends on Saturday. Sat at the bar, like I usually do. After 20 minutes the bubble chewing employee came over and said do you all want something? I was nice so I said yes and can we have dinner here? Yeah! Throws menus..Well I could not take it anymore and went up to a manager and said that I was getting annoyed at the rudeness and the chewing gum and blowing bubles in my face...The manager said she is my best server and turned his back. ok another restaurant I will never come back to. One of my favorite places to go... Reply to this
6/20/2009 8:52 AM
Jim wrote:
Businesses should start to realize no clients no business no money. Most businesses close due to service issues. Wake up and realize it is time to have you and your employees trained to deal with people. The customer is the one that signs your employees checks. Reply to this
6/18/2009 10:21 AM
Ken M wrote:
I called a home improvement person to install new windows, put in a sliding glass door and install vinyl siding on my home. (Not a small job). The person I called was referred to me and was suppose to be one of the best in the area. I left an message for him on his machine. He called me back 2 days later and made an appointment. Well it's been 2 years and he still hasn't shown up for the appointment nor did he call to cancel. I wonder if he knows that I'm a Realtor and tell everyone I can about his unprofessionalism every chance I get.
Thanks for submitting your story Ken. Your book is in the mail (I promise!). Your story shows the benefits of referrals, but also the hazards of not following up. It also shows the impact of negative press when a poor service experience is had. Statistics show that people will tell 10 people in general about their poor experience, but that statistic doesn't take into account people who work in professions that come into contact with a lot of people, like realtors. It also doesn't take into account the technology out there today - blogs, e-mail, twitter ...
5/29/2009 9:36 PM
Laura P wrote:
I completely agree with these stats. I certainly tell my friends and family when I have those poor service experiences.
For example, I bought a 52 inch TV about four months ago and all of a sudden it stopped working. I can't even begin to tell you how rude the customer service people were. I politely explained to the representative what had happened and he said that the main board of the tv was completely fried. He offered no explanation when I asked why that would happen to a 4 month TV he responded by saying "does it really matter... it's still under warranty so it won't cost you anything". The poor service did not stop with the employees on the call desk.... even the technician who came to our house was extremely rude and even mentioned to us that he's received several complaints so if we weren't satisfied please do not let his manager know.
Needless to say the entire experience did not leave a good taste in my mouth and you better believe that I've told many of my friends and family that if they are planning to buy a tv that they should avoid this manufacturer as it seems likely that at some point they'd experience problems with the TV and have to be subjected to a service center who does not really care about the client. Reply to this
Ok, I know many companies are trying to cut back on their cost factors, but is it worth losing clients? I bought a new computer and was having problems with it, so I called tech support to try and get it fixed.
Well, first it took me 20 minutes to get someone on the phone and when I did, I could not understand what she was saying; I said not to be rude but am it possible to have someone else step in on the situation because I am having problems understanding what you are asking. No I could not. I said how about a Manager, "They do not talk to the clients. Again she started again, now two hours had gone by, I hung up, and maybe another day would be better.
I wait another day and I get someone that I do not understand again. I had a customer number so he would be able to just look that up for the problem...He did, but, he said we have to start all over again. I can feel the smoke coming out my ears. I said I just bought a computer two months ago and spent a lot of money also that is all we use in the house between other laptops and printers. No more for them. Again, another two hours and still nothing. I explained this again THAT I NEED THIS FOR WORK...
I was fed up and decided to call their Corporate Office and talk to someone in the Client Resolution. She was just as rude, she told me I need to follow the steps the reps are asking me to do and that is all she can do, and again a Manager would not talk to me.
I called and they are sending me a box to send back to checkout and it will take 7-9 weeks. Again I stated I needed for work…We will see if I get the box ever gets here, what will be in the box, will the Laptop get fixed? These answers I have no clue.
One thing I know I will never buy anything else by made by HP! And, I will make sure I let others know of my horror stories.
Reply to this
I regularly eat at my favourite restaurant called Campagne in Kilkenny, Ireland. In addition to the amazing food, the service leaves a lasting impression that ensures you want to come back. Nothing is too much trouble and the staff seem to know what you are thinking just before you have to ask for anything. Overall, the food and service combined deliver a fantastic experience.
~ Aiden won a signed copy of The Service Journey for submitting this! Congratulations!
Reply to this
The first thing that bothers me when I call a company is all the different buttons you have to hit to get to the group you need to talk to. Then when I do get the person I want to talk to they put me on hold. I sit there and watch how long it is taking from when I first made the call until I finaly get my question answered. Then the person gets back on the phone (no apology) and says I have the wrong department and then gives me the phone number of whom I am trying to contact and does not offer to transfer the call..Bye, Bye for this Company. What happened to respecting the customers's time?
Reply to this
What a revealing survey - I imagine stuff like this gives management types a lot of sleepless nights!
I know that this kind of consumer behavior is relentlessly tracked regardless of the state of the economy, and the results are probably similar in good times - although the bad times we are in exaggerate the behavior of consumers. Time for companies to invest heavily in their customer service?
Reply to this
I called on August 10th to add voicemail to my new business line! After 15 business days and 12 people later, on Saturday there was a knock on my door. It was Simon, the AT&T repair man! No one told me someone from repair was going to come out, I’m glad I was home!! Well, after he spent 2 hours on the phone with programming (because there was nothing that needed repair on my phone or lines), it FINALLY got fixed!! It had been programmed wrong multiple times!! All those people I talked to said they would call me back to check in the next day, NO ONE EVER DID!!! All of these people were so very nice and personable, but couldn’t execute!!! FINALLY a guy who didn’t even know why he was dispatched to my house was able to get it fixed for me!! I wasn’t going to let him leave until it was fixed!!!
I wish Dave Carroll would write a song about my experience!!!
Reply to this
As a follow up to today's blog entry, I love shopping at Brighton Collectibles. They always ask me if I would like a coffee or a bottled water (and the bottled water has a cute Brighton label on it). They serve fresh cookies and wrap up my purchases in a pretty bag with a matching ribbon. They come around the counter to personally hand me my package and to wish me a good rest of my day. The positive shopping experience is worth the cost of the jewelry!
Reply to this
This is a great posting. You are absolutely on point saying that us as consumers most definitely compare the service we receive on a daily basis to those companies that provide best-in-class service. It's pretty sad how many services providers fall short when it comes to service. There is SOOOO much they can learn from your experience and wisdom. I recently went on a cruise and it was amazing the exceptional level of service that I received from the moment I arrived to the dock. I was thinking to myself how rare it is to get this type of exceptional service and how nice it would be if we did get it all the time.. or at least some of the time.
Here's a little taste of the type of service that the ALL of the employees of this cruise line CONSISTENTLY deliver. I emphasis the word "consistent" as I've cruised with this line several times before and they've always exceeded expectations and I know what to expect as they never seem to falter on the level of service. That's why I've traveled with them 6 times as I know that the service is going to be amazing.
From the time we stepped foot on the Pier we were politely greeted by employees who were extremely organized and made the embarkation process a breeze... now that's a challenging feat considering there's about 3000 people checking in. Everytime we passed an employee whether the person was part of the wait staff, room stewards, maintenance work to the cruise director employees each greeted you with a big smile and asked if there was anything they could do to make our stay more pleasurable.
Our room steward was amazing... as we were walking into our room the first time she came right up and greeted us by name... She knew who we were and she even welcomed us back on board. And it didn't stop there. She was always so attentive to our needs. The service that this cruise line delivers is top notch.
Even our wait staff at dinner time was AMAZING. The second night of dining with them they automatically brought us our favorite beverage without us even asking and they would do little things like that throughout our dining experience with them.
We never encountered anyone who was rude or not willing to provide the best service possible.
I was so happy to complete the survey they provided as I couldn't wait to express my thanks and happiness. I would recommend and have recommended many people to travel with Princess Cruise Lines. Now if only other service providers provided this level of service, despite the industry. Delivering excellent service should be a key focus for any organization... cruise line, car dealership, restaurant... you name it.
When I receive great service I love to tell others and what better advertisement for the company than a referral.
Delivering great service takes hard work and consistency but the benefits are endless.
Couldn't have said it better myself Laura. THANK YOU! Susan
Reply to this
It's not rocket science and yet so many people/companies need to take heed to this information!! Thanks Susan!
And thank you Karin. It's usually not the big things that trip us up, but the small. Have a great day!
Reply to this
Went out to relax and have a nice dinner with friends on Saturday. Sat at the bar, like I usually do. After 20 minutes the bubble chewing employee came over and said do you all want something? I was nice so I said yes and can we have dinner here? Yeah! Throws menus..Well I could not take it anymore and went up to a manager and said that I was getting annoyed at the rudeness and the chewing gum and blowing bubles in my face...The manager said she is my best server and turned his back.
ok another restaurant I will never come back to. One of my favorite places to go...
Reply to this
Businesses should start to realize no clients no business no money. Most businesses close due to service issues.
Wake up and realize it is time to have you and your employees trained to deal with people. The customer is the one that signs your employees checks.
Reply to this
I called a home improvement person to install new windows, put in a sliding glass door and install vinyl siding on my home. (Not a small job). The person I called was referred to me and was suppose to be one of the best in the area. I left an message for him on his machine. He called me back 2 days later and made an appointment. Well it's been 2 years and he still hasn't shown up for the appointment nor did he call to cancel. I wonder if he knows that I'm a Realtor and tell everyone I can about his unprofessionalism every chance I get.
Thanks for submitting your story Ken. Your book is in the mail (I promise!). Your story shows the benefits of referrals, but also the hazards of not following up. It also shows the impact of negative press when a poor service experience is had. Statistics show that people will tell 10 people in general about their poor experience, but that statistic doesn't take into account people who work in professions that come into contact with a lot of people, like realtors. It also doesn't take into account the technology out there today - blogs, e-mail, twitter ...
Reply to this
I completely agree with these stats. I certainly tell my friends and family when I have those poor service experiences.
For example, I bought a 52 inch TV about four months ago and all of a sudden it stopped working. I can't even begin to tell you how rude the customer service people were. I politely explained to the representative what had happened and he said that the main board of the tv was completely fried. He offered no explanation when I asked why that would happen to a 4 month TV he responded by saying "does it really matter... it's still under warranty so it won't cost you anything". The poor service did not stop with the employees on the call desk.... even the technician who came to our house was extremely rude and even mentioned to us that he's received several complaints so if we weren't satisfied please do not let his manager know.
Needless to say the entire experience did not leave a good taste in my mouth and you better believe that I've told many of my friends and family that if they are planning to buy a tv that they should avoid this manufacturer as it seems likely that at some point they'd experience problems with the TV and have to be subjected to a service center who does not really care about the client.
Reply to this