Customer Service on a Saturday afternoon
So, this just happened......
My partner is physically ill today. Believe me, there is a significant part of me that is not feeling any sympathy at all for him, but, that's another blog. However, I am willing to go through the motions of being a caring spouse. He wanted a McDonald's breakfast this afternoon and I felt obligated enough to get it for him.
I entered out on my 15 minute quest.
First, I had to make a quick stop at my ATM. There was a time when going to an ATM was a quick impersonal experience. A time to take a break from the pressure of having to make small talk with a teller. Now, even going to an ATM is an experience. The ATM now knows my name and thanks me for my visit and before I can withdraw a measly $20 of my own money, it has to engage in a conversation with me. It has to tell me information. Today, it told me that bank fees were changing on June 15. Well, I know what that means. I've had that conversation before. Bank fees are rising. I look away for a second to try and get the ATM to move this conversation along, and I notice the changes. Bank fees aren't rising; they are dropping. I look closer and calculate what this is going to mean for my bottom line. Now, mind you, this was a quick glance, so I don't want to get too excited, but, it appears that I am going to be saving $1.25. That is not a one time savings. It looks like I'm going to saving that each and every month !!! I get my $20. The ATM was so happy to serve me and can't wait for me to come back. I feel bad that I didn't put on makeup.
I go through the McDonald's drive-thru. This is the closest location to me. They always screw up my order and I always give them one more chance. I order my breakfast and I am still clutching on my bill as I type. I placed my order at 14:33. I paid for my order at 14:34. Again, I have the receipt to prove this. I arrive at the window for my order. I wait just a couple of seconds and look across the street.
A local retailer is having a massive sale. 40% off. I am a little excited and decide I can going to support this local retailer who is having such a massive sale. I look at the sign again. The 40% off is for April 6 and 7. Today is April 22. I conclude that customer service is dead. I can reconcile in my mind that McDonald's doesn't care about customer service. After all, they are McDonald's. My two breakfast combos is going to mean to their bottom line, but a local retailer?? They care so little, that they can't even change their sign??
I look back at the window and a nice young man tells me it will be a minute for the fries and can I please pull ahead. I do what he tells me to do. I can wait a minute. I become aware that not only has the song finished on the cd that I am listening to, but two more songs has passed. I become irritated. I'm irritated that I have waited, but I'm more angry that I have been lied to. If you knew it wasn't going to be a minute, why didn't you tell me the truth?
I am a prisoner in my own car. All I can do is scroll on my phone on facebook so I don't look like a complete loser held hostage by a couple of hashbrowns.
I note that one of my facebook friends is irritated by poor customer service by the Winnipeg Free Press. I read his story and I am no longer irritated, I am a little enraged. Not about his story, of course, I really couldn't care less about his story. No, I am reminded about my relationship with the Winnipeg Free Press. You see, about 6 years ago, I didn't get my paper one morning. I called customer service and had a two minute exchange with an automated system. Press 1. Press 3. Press 1 again. Press 2. Press 1 again. And, presto, they delivered me my paper. Which means they gave me the paper that I paid for and they promised to deliver every day, except Sunday. About 4 months after that happened, I had another day that I didn't receive my paper. I knew what to do, but this time, when I typed in my phone number, the automated voice said, "Oh, I see you have had problems in the past. Please hold and your call will be answered by a Customer Service agent who specializes in problems." I hung up immediately. I was insulted by being labeled a problem and that I needed someone who spealizes in dealing with people like me. My self-esteem is fragile enough. Ever since then, when I don't get the paper that I paid for, I go out and buy another paper, just so that I won't be called a problem.
Finally, I get my meals handed to me by another male teenager who does not have the common sense to say, "sorry for the wait." I have turned into a grumpy old man while I have been waiting and write down the time on the bill of when I received my order. 14:46. In case you aren't following this with the intensity that I experienced this, I waited in my car for 12 minutes from the time I paid. And, no thank you. I have been lied to !!! Why tell me it was going to be a minute when it obviously wasn't. Don't make promises you can't keep.
I go over this in my head several times while driving home. I throw the bag at my sick partner as he is probably just faking it anyway. And, then we make a discovery. I ordered two meals and only got 1 hashbrown. I guess if I wanted another hash brown, then I would have to wait another 12 minutes.
How can customer service be so dead? Why doesn't anyone pay attention to a paying customer ?
Then, I remembered something that I teach when I teach customer service. Focus on the positive. If you focus on the positive, that is all you will see.
So, I focused on the big picture here. I am going to be saving $1.25/month in bank fees. Ok, it may be true that $1.25 is not going to make me or break me......(although some months....). However, this is actually huge. For decades, consumer groups have been complaining that the big banks pay attention to their big corporate clients and don't give a damn about their individual customers. That complaint has been largely a true reflection of what has been happening. The big banks make so much money and a one year bonus of a CEO probably equals the lifetime salary of everyone in my family. Yet, for whatever reason, the bank is now caring about an individual customer. They are making an effort. And, although I look to save $1.25/month, it seems that other customers may save as much as $5.00/month. It may not be much, but it is HUGE. For whatever reason, we matter. Banks are caring about our business.
Customer Service is not dead. It is just not common sense. Apparently, the consumer does have a voice. We just have to role model for the corporations on how we want to be treated. We have the power to make common sense common practice.
#TDCanadaTrust
#McDonald'sDon'tLieToMe
#prepackagedhashbrownshouldn'ttake12minutes
My partner is physically ill today. Believe me, there is a significant part of me that is not feeling any sympathy at all for him, but, that's another blog. However, I am willing to go through the motions of being a caring spouse. He wanted a McDonald's breakfast this afternoon and I felt obligated enough to get it for him.
I entered out on my 15 minute quest.
First, I had to make a quick stop at my ATM. There was a time when going to an ATM was a quick impersonal experience. A time to take a break from the pressure of having to make small talk with a teller. Now, even going to an ATM is an experience. The ATM now knows my name and thanks me for my visit and before I can withdraw a measly $20 of my own money, it has to engage in a conversation with me. It has to tell me information. Today, it told me that bank fees were changing on June 15. Well, I know what that means. I've had that conversation before. Bank fees are rising. I look away for a second to try and get the ATM to move this conversation along, and I notice the changes. Bank fees aren't rising; they are dropping. I look closer and calculate what this is going to mean for my bottom line. Now, mind you, this was a quick glance, so I don't want to get too excited, but, it appears that I am going to be saving $1.25. That is not a one time savings. It looks like I'm going to saving that each and every month !!! I get my $20. The ATM was so happy to serve me and can't wait for me to come back. I feel bad that I didn't put on makeup.
I go through the McDonald's drive-thru. This is the closest location to me. They always screw up my order and I always give them one more chance. I order my breakfast and I am still clutching on my bill as I type. I placed my order at 14:33. I paid for my order at 14:34. Again, I have the receipt to prove this. I arrive at the window for my order. I wait just a couple of seconds and look across the street.
A local retailer is having a massive sale. 40% off. I am a little excited and decide I can going to support this local retailer who is having such a massive sale. I look at the sign again. The 40% off is for April 6 and 7. Today is April 22. I conclude that customer service is dead. I can reconcile in my mind that McDonald's doesn't care about customer service. After all, they are McDonald's. My two breakfast combos is going to mean to their bottom line, but a local retailer?? They care so little, that they can't even change their sign??
I look back at the window and a nice young man tells me it will be a minute for the fries and can I please pull ahead. I do what he tells me to do. I can wait a minute. I become aware that not only has the song finished on the cd that I am listening to, but two more songs has passed. I become irritated. I'm irritated that I have waited, but I'm more angry that I have been lied to. If you knew it wasn't going to be a minute, why didn't you tell me the truth?
I am a prisoner in my own car. All I can do is scroll on my phone on facebook so I don't look like a complete loser held hostage by a couple of hashbrowns.
I note that one of my facebook friends is irritated by poor customer service by the Winnipeg Free Press. I read his story and I am no longer irritated, I am a little enraged. Not about his story, of course, I really couldn't care less about his story. No, I am reminded about my relationship with the Winnipeg Free Press. You see, about 6 years ago, I didn't get my paper one morning. I called customer service and had a two minute exchange with an automated system. Press 1. Press 3. Press 1 again. Press 2. Press 1 again. And, presto, they delivered me my paper. Which means they gave me the paper that I paid for and they promised to deliver every day, except Sunday. About 4 months after that happened, I had another day that I didn't receive my paper. I knew what to do, but this time, when I typed in my phone number, the automated voice said, "Oh, I see you have had problems in the past. Please hold and your call will be answered by a Customer Service agent who specializes in problems." I hung up immediately. I was insulted by being labeled a problem and that I needed someone who spealizes in dealing with people like me. My self-esteem is fragile enough. Ever since then, when I don't get the paper that I paid for, I go out and buy another paper, just so that I won't be called a problem.
Finally, I get my meals handed to me by another male teenager who does not have the common sense to say, "sorry for the wait." I have turned into a grumpy old man while I have been waiting and write down the time on the bill of when I received my order. 14:46. In case you aren't following this with the intensity that I experienced this, I waited in my car for 12 minutes from the time I paid. And, no thank you. I have been lied to !!! Why tell me it was going to be a minute when it obviously wasn't. Don't make promises you can't keep.
I go over this in my head several times while driving home. I throw the bag at my sick partner as he is probably just faking it anyway. And, then we make a discovery. I ordered two meals and only got 1 hashbrown. I guess if I wanted another hash brown, then I would have to wait another 12 minutes.
How can customer service be so dead? Why doesn't anyone pay attention to a paying customer ?
Then, I remembered something that I teach when I teach customer service. Focus on the positive. If you focus on the positive, that is all you will see.
So, I focused on the big picture here. I am going to be saving $1.25/month in bank fees. Ok, it may be true that $1.25 is not going to make me or break me......(although some months....). However, this is actually huge. For decades, consumer groups have been complaining that the big banks pay attention to their big corporate clients and don't give a damn about their individual customers. That complaint has been largely a true reflection of what has been happening. The big banks make so much money and a one year bonus of a CEO probably equals the lifetime salary of everyone in my family. Yet, for whatever reason, the bank is now caring about an individual customer. They are making an effort. And, although I look to save $1.25/month, it seems that other customers may save as much as $5.00/month. It may not be much, but it is HUGE. For whatever reason, we matter. Banks are caring about our business.
Customer Service is not dead. It is just not common sense. Apparently, the consumer does have a voice. We just have to role model for the corporations on how we want to be treated. We have the power to make common sense common practice.
#TDCanadaTrust
#McDonald'sDon'tLieToMe
#prepackagedhashbrownshouldn'ttake12minutes
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