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A Kindred Spirit: How much does customer service matter About the author: Teresa Bell Kindred lives in Edmonton, Kentucky with her family. She is the author of several books including Mom:PHD: Leadership Skills for Moms. She is a public speaker and has spoken to several different womens groups in Columbia and Adair County. For 13 years she was a magazine columnist for Kentucky Living magazine. Presently she is a grant writer for Metcalfe County Schools and is working on another book. Visit her online at Teresa Bell Kindred...A Kindred Spirit to read more about her, purchase her books, or invite her to speak to your club or organization. Email her directly at tbellkindred@scrtc.com By Teresa Bell Kindred How much does customer service matter? Yesterday I spent an hour cooling my heels at a local business office (which shall remain nameless). The sad thing about the waiting was that I had already been there once, waited around until I couldn't wait any longer and then left. I came back hoping things would be moving more quickly, but they weren't. By the time I finally got what I needed I was more than a tad upset. When it comes to patience with others I do fairly well unless I can see that there isn't any reason for the delay. The only reason they kept me waiting is because they were slower than molasses, slower than the seven year itch, slower than Grandma Moses....well, you get the picture. Clerk couldn't interrupt own texting to bother with customer Even though that's aggravating I can top that story. My son went in a store the other day and the person waiting on him was texting someone on his cell phone while talking to my son! When my son asked him a question they sales person said, "Can you wait just a minute? I'm getting a message." Can you believe it? And they wonder why they are losing customers. There was a time when car sales people rushed to wait on you A few months ago if you walked into a car dealership sales people would trip over themselves getting to you. This past weekend my husband and I walked into one and couldn't find anyone to talk to us. It seems the "Cash for Clunkers" program is working so well they were all worn out! When we finally found them they were all in one office talking, laughing and generally goofing off. In fairness to them when we failed to get their attention and walked back to our car someone did follow us with a brochure and hand it to us in case we wanted to come back when they got some new models in. They were completely cleaned out of the model we inquired about. Another thing that really bugs me is when you call somewhere for customer service and get a recording. Does this sound familiar? "If you want to talk to so and so press 1. If you want to talk to someone else, press 2. And so on and so forth." Good grief. "I WANT TO TALK TO A REAL LIVE PERSON," I've been known to shout into the phone. Usually I give up and hang up, which is probably what they wanted me to do in the first place. Then there is directory assistance And then there is directory assistance. Oh my goodness. The last five times I've called them I've spoken to someone in another country. Those poor folks can't understand my accent and I can't understand theirs. "I need a number for Tom South in Chicken Bristle, Kentucky," I say slowly. "Toom Suth in Cheeken Bustle, Keentucky?" she asks. After I spelled it three times she gives me a number. I call it and guess what? It's not the right number. I realize that sometimes we have to be patient and wait our turn and sometimes things happen that keep us from giving good customer service, but it seems to me that a business that really cares about its customers will let you know they care. A very different experience: Someone who cared This morning I got a phone call from someone who worked for a corporation up north. I am a grant writer (one of my many hats) and I couldn't get the link to work on their web site. She impressed me for several reasons. First of all, when I emailed her about the link I must have typed in my email address incorrectly, it kept bouncing back. She was determined to find me so she decided to call. Low and behold I had left the area code off my number. She figured out that it was Kentucky and then tried different area codes until she got me. Now that's what I call good customer service! Not only did she get me the information I needed, she proved to me that it mattered to her what I thought about her company. You can bet that the next time I buy paint (paint supplier) it will be her brand. If I owned a company, she's the type of employee I want working for me. I know these are tough times and that the economy is stale as last month's bread, but I can't help wondering if a percentage of what is wrong isn't a direct result of poor customer service. What do you think? How much does customer service matter? This story was posted on 2009-08-23 09:54:29
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