*Overheard*

10 Responses to “Tip of the Week: “What Will You Do That’s Gonna Make Me Stay?””

• Mike says:
  12 July 2008, 11:49 am

  When I ask a customer what they need to be happy, it’s rarely all that I expected. They normally don’t ask for the world, just something small. A token of love, if you will.

  I personally ask for less that I could get when I’m in her position. I just want what I paid for, not the world on a platter.

  Most businesses don’t deliver all they promise and the one’s that do are deluged with customers and rarely learn to over-deliver, becuase they don’t have to.

  My server host, as an example, doesn’t deliver all they promise in writing.

  When I copy-n-paste their ad copy from their own site, they deny having it on there.

  When I point out the exact location, they say it’s a typo and won’t deliver.

  When I say that if that’s not part of the deal then I don’t want to be a customer, they say fine, go away.

  There are way more people with money in America than there are businesses with ethics and morals and enough skilled people to implement them well. Not perfectly, just well.

  Until that changes, we, as consumers, are always gonna be low on the totem pole.

• Kelly Erickson says:
  13 July 2008, 6:23 pm

  Mike,

  That’s a stinging indictment, and I agree. Bigger businesses who’ve forgotten how to “act small” can advertise their way out of an awful lot by finding the next sucker. It’s terribly sad but true.

  The good news for small business is that putting customers even a bit higher on the totem pole than some big corporations do will get you noticed and is not difficult at all; treating customers the way you wish you were always treated will get you “deluged with customers.” Not bad for doing what should be done by everybody.

  I hope you find a new host that hasn’t forgotten how to act small.

  Regards,

  Kelly

• Friar says:
  13 July 2008, 7:34 pm

  Kelly

  I think you’d be shocked if you came to Canada. Because in general, every time I go there, I’m pleasantly surprised at how good the customer service is in the States (compared to what we get here in Canada).

  If American consumers are low on the totem pole, Canadians aren’t even ON the pole.

  We’re probably the dirt that was dug up to make the hole to plant the pole.

• Kelly Erickson says:
  13 July 2008, 7:48 pm

  Friar,

  You know that grass? The kind that’s always greener…

  When I go up to Canada, I think, how come we can’t all behave civilly like these folks? Okay, a bit chilly, but never ignorant and rude. I’m from New England, so chilly suits me fine, but the outright rude from someone whose salary you’re paying (as Mike is to his host) just astonishes me.

  (Hey dude… when you spell your URL “deepfrair” CommentLuv hisses at you in silence. I’ll go fix it so folks can click on your link.)

  Later,

  Kelly

• Friar says:
  16 July 2008, 4:51 pm

  @Kelly

  Oboy, I just came off the phone trying to get some technical assistance for my satelite TV service. It made me think of your blog.

  It was such a bad call, the guy was such an idiot, I actually HUNG UP on the guy, rather than get my TV problems fixed.

  “What will you do to make me stay”?

  Heh. I couldn’t leave fast enough!

  PS. Why can’t call centers have people who speak ENGLISH?

• Kelly Erickson says:
  16 July 2008, 5:09 pm

  Friar,

  Youch. (For you, how about French? Or “Grandma, may I have a cookie” in Polish? Probably wouldn’t get the problem fixed, but you could get a cookie out of the deal.)

  Is it my imagination or are cable and satellite companies The Worst? I have this issue with mine, too. I don’t know, between them and cell phone companies, it’s a tough competition for the bottom of the pile.

  On a similar note: Poor Customer, Poor Service. Tim wrote “not to brag, but our company, with only 40 employees, could [fix his billing problem] easily.” Big companies taking individual customers FOR GRANTED. I just hate that.

  Later,

  Kelly

  P.S. Déjà vu… watch that spelling in your URL. CommentLuv can’t find you if you’re “deepfrair.” Fixed here so people can click on your name, but it doesn’t cure auto-fill problems. (Like when I’m accidentally visionpoints over at your blog. Oops.)

• Friar says:
  16 July 2008, 8:08 pm

  @Kelly

  DOH. I noticed that….the autofill kept the “Deep Frair” from last time!

  You know what’s funny about the my phone call? He asked me to rate his service on a scale of 1 to 10.

  I thought I was being generours, when I said “seven”. He wasn’t happy. He said “Eight is a qualifying mark (Whatever that means!?).

  Well, I’m giving you SEVEN, I told him.

  He asked what could he do to make me give him an eight? (Now, THERE is a loaded question if I ever heard one).

  But at this point, too little, too late. That’s when I bailed out!

  I’ll try again later this evening..maybe I’ll get someone else form Banglador who speaks better English.

• Friar says:
  16 July 2008, 8:09 pm

  Oops. Now I added a comment TWICE.

  (Delete one if you wish!)
  Friar’s last blog post…Friar’s Random Rants (Part II)

• Kelly Erickson says:
  16 July 2008, 8:20 pm

  Friar,

  Oh, man, if the guy had said I didn’t hit his “qualifying mark” to me, I would have said “and you’ve just made it a 6.”

  That’s like chasing you out of a restaurant to tell you your tip won’t pay the bills. Then improve your work…

  Disclaimer: I tip very well. No one chases me, but I have known people who deserved to be chased.

  I’ve never been asked to rate telephone customer service like that, but I’d say only rarely does anyone rate over a seven. My hosting company does. They’ve got an ugly, annoying website, but their phone service is superb. A rare breed.

  Later,

  Kelly

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• 14 July 2008, 11:14 am: Pingback from Do You Measure Customer Service By Satisfaction or by Complaints? : Virtual Impax
  

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