Side 1:
AT&T customer service. I have recently had some issues with disconnecting my home phone, but keeping DSL service. This was done because it will save about $12/month and we never use our home phone, except to hang up on solicitors. Rather than an extensive narrative, below you will find some bullet points explaining my frustration.
- Call in procedure: There is a computer that asks you to say what you are calling about. It gives some common suggestions like "I would like to pay my bill" or "Technical Assistance" but it is difficult to put a 3 word name on problems often. I think I prefer "press one to pay your bill. press 2 for technical assistance"
- They always ask for your account number, which I finally learned to keep with me. When I didn't know it, they would ask for other information, but the response from that was always "I'm having trouble locating your information"
- I eventually just starting shouting "speak with representative" as soon as I got the computer voice.
- Once I did get a human, they would ask me for the exact same information that I just gave the computer, prompting the question, "why did I give it to the computer?"
- Every time I got transfered I would have to give my info again and again.
- I got the feeling that the operators really just wanted to push me off to another department. I got transfered more times than I could count, and I always had to give my life story to the new person.
- There was no mechanism for the person on the other end of the phone to take responsibility for a problem and see it to conclusion. When I was at Regions I would grab a customer's problem and see it to its resolution and the follow up to make sure everything was good. That level of service was either not possible or just not given to me.
That brings me to the other side of that equation. Side 2: Chick-Fil-A
- 2 Weeks ago my friend Derek attempted to buy a breakfast platter for our Friday Morning Men's group. They had dinner there the night before, so he ordered it, got confirmation that it would be ready between 5:30AM and 5:45 in time for our 6:00AM meeting. He paid for it that night just to make everything go smoothly in the morning. Well, apparently, the message was not relayed for the morning crew and it was not ready. In fact, he was told it would not be ready until after 6, since it had not been started when he asked about it. Frustrated, Derek asked for a refund (so he wouldn't be late) and just got some donuts.
- Derek received a call later in the week apologizing for the mix up and they extended the offer to host one of our meetings and provide breakfast for everyone on the house.
- We all (about 9) showed up the next week and ordered whatever we wanted, all on the house. They were so gracious and obviously felt that they had a responsibility to make up for letting us down.
Its obvious which was a better example of customer service, but the interesting question is, which is better for the bottom line? AT&T outsources much of their customer service all over the world, so the cost of the call centers is minimal, however, I have no loyalty to them. If someone comes in with a better, cheaper, mouse trap, I'll be the first to move. C-F-A, however, has endeared themselves to me, Derek, and likely the rest of the group of guys that were there that morning. The next time we are trying to decide between Wendy's and C-F-A, I will probably lean towards the chicken sandwich. But the benefits do not stop there. Think about the employees who want to take responsibility for a problem. CFA gives their people power to make decisions, even if it costs money, in the name of customer service. That is great for morale and a good work environment. I have been an employee that has felt like I was wearing handcuffs before, and it is not fun. Most people want to help others, and it is rewarding to be able to do so.
What are your thoughts? How would you run your business?
1 comment:
I sent a copy of your post to our local VA CFA owner.
Post a Comment