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Customer Service - What's happened to it?

By
Real Estate Agent with RLAH Real Estate

I pride myself on the customer service I give to my fellow agents, business associates as well as and most importantly to my business my Clients.  But I continue to be amazed at the lack of even somewhat a semblance of similar type of "I care about your needs" type service from other businesses.  I purchased an iPad over 6 weeks ago and in the process met the manager of the store who handles business clients (vs people purchasing for personal use).  He was readily interested in making connections with me and wanted to see what could be done to entice my fellow office agents to come to his store.  Well, over the course of a month I had numerous problems with the iPad and eventually had to have it replaced. It was plain a simple a lemon.  For the most part the customer service both online and in the store was responsive, but it was always me seeking them out for solutions, never them seeing what could be done to make sure the problem was completely resolved.  This "business" manager made a point of saying let me know if you ever have questions or problems.  I didn't reach out to him initially as I figured it was a small problem anyone could handle.  When I finally did and scheduled an appt I thought with him, turns out he wasn't available and I just got a techie who didn't have the history I'd shared with him.  Even with the blips in getting the iPad fully functioning I knew it was time to upgrade my computer and was ready to make the switch from PC to Mac.  So I emailed the business manager to set up an appt.  Set up the appointment for today based on his recommendation to be able to meet with me at 10 a.m.  Two days ago, I received an email saying he had a conflict and the other customer service agent who had helped me in the past would be covering for him.  I was there at 10 and no one could find a record of the appointment.  First they were going to just pass me over to another business manager.  I said that the business manager who had set up the appointment had personally asked a fellow associate to cover for him.  Found the email accounting of this and then they said, "oh, we can get him for you".  Thirty minutes later this business associate comes over.  He clearly doesn't have a good handle on things, when he says, "are you here to purchase an iPad?".  It was the combination of setting an appointment, so that my time wouldn't be wasted (but was) and I thought I was going to have someone who had an understanding of what I needed (but didn't) that made me look at the guy and say, I think I'll reschedule.  I know Apple products are very popular and by and large I think there's good customer service, but I really don't get the feel that people working in the store feel the need to work at securing your business.  It's truly sad.  I'm not that old (or at least don't like to think so) - baby boomer, but feel like I'm from my parent's generation where they truly valued the customer.  I live by that and I guess I'm going to continue to be disappointed as most businesses and people don't anymore.

Posted by

Nancy Heisel, RE/MAX Gateway

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