PERSON TO PERSON

In by-gone days, when customer service was excellent, Rich’s Department Store, in Atlanta, Georgia, was known for retaining their employees for many years until they retired.  These employees knew their customers, and good service developed loyalty on both sides. At Rich’s a customer could return any item for cash without any questions.  That’s why mothers used to tell their children, “Behave, or I will return you to Rich’s.”  

In the days of good service, a customer could reach a knowledgeable employee just by dialing a telephone number.  No one was put on hold or bounced around from department to department before reaching a real human being.  Nowadays, the new rule is, “We’ll get you there eventually.”

Verizon, one of the best providers of bad customer service has hired the worst of the worst artificial telephone operators imaginable.  As far as I am concerned, “If it is artificial, it ain’t intelligent!”   When I called to ask about a large rate increase on my bill, I dialed the support line only left to yell at my phone for 20 minutes—shouting, “Representative!” 

When I finally  reached a human being, she lowered my rate, but said, “Call back in December, and you can probably get a special deal.” When I asked, “Is there a way I can reach you again?” She said, “Hell, NO.”I made up the “Hell” part, however I did ask, “Why can’t they give me the special rate now?” She said, “I just can’t do that, because I don’t know what the special rate will be.” 

I then told her, “Don’t take this personally, but when your Company was called, “Comcast” everyone hated you, so then the company renamed itself, “Verizon.” Now everyone hates Verizon.  She said, “I’m sorry about that,” but I didn’t believe her.  No wonder service is so bad.

Marshall Field said, “Right or wrong, the customer is always right,” but then look at what happened to his store.  Now it’s called Macy’s. I don’t understand why companies spend millions on advertising to attract new customers since they don’t care about keeping the ones they already have—let alone treating their employees well. It can’t be  cost effective to have a constant employee turnover—spending money training people who can’t leave your business fast enough.

If employees are happy and stay with a company, it’s got to be good for everyone—the boss, the employee and the customers.  As Kate Zabriskie, the founder of Business Training Works, said, “Although your customers won’t love you if you give them bad service, Your competitors will!”

Esther Blumenfeld