In todays highly competative market, you would think that companies would be highly cognizant of the customer service they provide to their customers... their lifeblood.
Over the last week, I have experienced an incredible array of customer service styles from various companies in the technology field. I will not name them, or describe their field of expertise, but lets just say they are highly important, valuable, and REQUIRED services in the real estate business.
The first was a MAJOR, nationwide, multi-billion dollar conglomerate. We had opened a new account (which had a balance), and closed a different account (which had a credit) - all we needed was to have the credit applied to the balance. Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG! It took two phone calls, transfers to 6 different customer service associates, and nearly 40 minutes to resolve this issue. Absolutely unacceptable.
The second occurrence was with a company that is paid handsomely each month for their service. After many attempts to contact our representative were ignored, I finally was forced to contact someone else in the company for information. Only then, after he had been exposed as a slacker, did he call me to discuss our account. For the amount of money being paid to this company, you would think that they would value each and every client, and ensure that they were satisfied. Not in this case...
The third occurrence was the one that really surprised me. A company that provides a small, but convenient, item to our business had a change in their program, requiring a (free) upgrade. After upgrading, it because evident that our personalized template was gone and had to be recreated. As this item was relatively inexpensive, and not worth the time it would take to recreate, I contacted the company to explain the hardship the upgrade had caused. I was amazed to receive a call back explaining that the problem had been handled, and that our version was as it should be. A few hours later, I received another e-mail asking if I was satisfied with their corrections and thanking me for being a customer. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE!
That this third company, receiving a very small monthly fee, is the ONE company that appreciates their customers, goes out of their way to ensure their satisfaction, and takes the time to follow up - THIS is the company that I will stay with and refer to others. They are the ideal example of how to properly service your customers.
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Christopher, I couldn't agree with you more. I have found a common thread between larger companies and poor customer service, to be a lack of communication between different departments within the same company. They expect the customer to relay information from one department to the next for them. This is ridiculous. Rather than have a customer transferred by phone and have to explain what could be a 5 minute problem, the company needs to relay the info "within the company" to the proper person and have that rep contact the customer with a solution. Spend their time fixing their problem, rather than wasting the customer's time.