"Good Customer Service...Is It Coming Back?"

As mentioned previously, for the last few years I have been writing chapters of "Customer Disservice...24-7"...a sign of our contemporary times...

Last week, I experienced many examples of a possible return of the concept of customer service...

With the onslaught of cooler weather, one early morning my Hyundai "low tire pressure" warning light illuminated.   It was 8 am and I was passing the dealership, and I pulled into the service entrance.  A mechanic and manager approached, and when I explained the reason for the stop, they said that they had been resetting those for many owners over the last two days, caused by the temperature drop, and my car was immediately serviced to correct the problem.

My 4-month old new cell phone battery was not holding a charge, and my first 4 months of "bundled service" cell and land phone, hi-speed Internet, and cable TV bills were $50 per month higher than promised they would be.   Through the manager level of the provider, by phone to customer service, I had been told that I had been given the wrong price when I signed up, that the lower quote wouldn't be honored, and that even after 30 years with the same company, since I had signed a "one-year contract", so that I couldn't make any changes without paying a penalty!  Mid-day, I was passing one of the provider branch stores and dropped in.  A salesman approached, welcomed me, and when I explained the above, he said that he would handle the corrections.  "You have not been treated properly by our company, and I apologize...my goal is to make you satisfied!"  He called the provider "inside management", and spent about an hour in negotiations until the $50 mistake was corrected, and then he ordered a replacement battery that arrived parcel post in two days. "Here's my card with my personal cell number and e-mail...call me if you ever have a problem again!"   A few days later, I took Mom to see the same salesman, about her incorrect bills that also were not be corrected over the phone.  One half later, he had corrected hers and gave a company rebate to make up for her inconvenience!

That afternoon at the gym, four young men were talking (not on cell phones, but directly!) while they were working out..."Isn't it great about the customer satisfaction training that we are being given at our grocery store chain?  It is our responsibility to realize that we have our jobs, because of our customers..."

I called my credit card to report that a cruise company had not given a proper rebate on a recent reservation.   Within minutes I was connected to an agent.  "I see that you have been one of our customers for a long time...we will credit your credit card account, and follow-up with the cruise company to correct the situation!" 

Similar examples of "customer service" have been occurring all week...is the concept coming back?

"Economy Comfort!"

Today's paper related that one of the major airlines has started selling an upgraded class..."Economy Comfort"...for $19 to $99, if available, you can buy a seat with three inches more legroom!

Years ago, when the air travel became consecutively more and more "pleasurable", I came up with another class that would have really been economical comfort...

Booking online is problematic...checking in at the kiosks is problematic...flights are late or canceled or switched, overbooked, weather-delayed, security concerned,  not equipment-serviced, and consequently mechanically not functioning, filthy, air quality contaminated, with no food, one small beverage, no leg room, no seat room, with rude flight attendants, filled with extra costs, and overused carry on luggage racks, and as a result have passengers that might exhibit "flight rage"!

To carry more passengers, and be further price-competitive, with more "economical comfort", the passengers could be "gased" to fall asleep when they check in and then they could be stacked on stretchers horizontally about 8 high in the cabin, and then awakened when they reach their destination!

"The Debit Card"

And the everyday changes continue...

To purchase a health drink supplement at  a discount for my mother and myself, I enrolled as a distributor in the company's "network marketing" sales distribution system.  This allows the purchase of four bottles of the product for $152 or $38 per bottle with shipping, instead of the retail price of $53 per bottle.  To be an "active" distributor, you are required to pay $25 per year ($2 per month).  In the "network marketing" way, if you sign up distributors below you, the company pays tabulated monthly commission.  In order to be paid this commission you are required to have at least four bottles per month "auto-shipped" and "auto-billed" to you, for the monthly investment of $154 with the factored annual fee.   A team of two enthusiastic individuals signed up below me, and they have a line of fourteen distributors below them.  The result of this minimum of $2,464 per month sales volume of my team, is a monthly commission of $12 to $15!  I certainly will not retire on this income, but the receipt of the check lowered my per bottle cost to S37.75!   

I paid my annual renewal $25,  and then I went to the mailbox and received a thick envelope.  Inside was a debit/credit card  from the supplement company.  I was about to throw it out, but instead I read the enclosed materials...From now on the monthly commission was to be "loaded" into this card that could be theoretically used for cash or merchandise.  My $13.75 commission for that month was now loaded in this card.  Further reading showed that the card had a $3 per month associated "maintenance" fee if not used.  I e-mailed the company to say that this did not make sense and that I didn't want this card....I wanted the check to be mailed, but this was no longer an option.  Instead, I could go online and switch my commission payment for the next, and consecutive months, to "automatic deposit" into my checking account by providing that institution's routing number.  I did this, and asked how to cancel the card so as to avoid the $3 per month fee plus interest on the "inactive" debit card.  In order cancel it after taking out my $13.75, I was told that I could go to Bank of America, and avoid a $5 "card activation" charge!

I drove to a local branch at lunch on a workday, and was told to first call the card 800-number to  "activate" it.  This took 10 minutes with the post press "1" for English, "prompts" phone answering "merry go round"!  Per the instructions, I then pressed another number to be given an available balance of $13.75.  When the bank tried to cash out the card for the $13.75, it was rejected.  The bank instructed me to call the card's "Customer (Dis)Service" Number.  For the next 20 minutes, I was on this now, eight-option "press around", with no prompt that took me to a person!  Not even the old standby of "pressing zero" multiple times worked!  I called back again and got a person by following the lost or stolen card path!  She got me to another person who said the card rejected the transaction because the balance had been reduced to $8.75 due to the activation charge! 

So I stood in the teller line (with the lunch crowd) to withdrawal the $8.75.  The manager approached and said that since the card had been rejected, bank policy would not allow it to be used as a debit card again!  

Infuriated, I called the 800 number again, and quickly went to lost or stolen cards!  I said that this whole experience was ridiculous, and that all I wanted to do now was get the cash out and cancel the card before I got more card charges,  to which she replied that I sounded unpleasant while she was trying to be polite, and that she would hang up!  Prior to that she informed that my only option now was to go to  a Walmart (another 15 minutes away) and use the checks that were mailed with the card to withdrawal the $8.75 without an additional transaction fee!

So during the next day's lunch I drove to Walmart with my checks, and went to the customer service desk.  They informed that they could not cash the check unless I had obtained a card issuing company authorization number and a balance confirmation.  I related that this was not a phone "press around option", and that I gave up!  The manager said to try to swipe the card and enter my card pin number...I did and success, the register showed $8.75, and I was given the cash!

From the car, I called the card company lost or stolen division again, and they routed me to a card cancellation agent.  She reported that after removing the $8.75 from the $8.75 balance, there was now $1.75 remaining in the account.   The card would not be able to be canceled for 120 days from the request!  Sooooo...I continued..."Four months at $3 per month unused service charges, plus overdraft interest because of the $12 trying to be taken from the now $1.75 balance...and four months of card over drafting would then be a report of "bad credit risk" to the three credit agencies, on a here-to-fore unblemished credit record...I'm ruined because the supplement company decided that they could save postage by not mailing commission checks...am I understanding this correctly????"..."Of course not, we the debit card company are here for you...we wouldn't think of doing that!!!"

"In the Gym..."

Daily, I go to one of the branches of our local gym chain.   These are opening up about every 10 miles throughout South Florida, and your membership allows access to all of them, so they are extremely accessible.   Indoors, they offer a large free weight and selectorized machine open exercise area, a large cardiovascular area, a regulation basketball court, racquetball courts, a large aerobics/classroom area, a "spin" cycling room, a 25 meter pool, a large spa, saunas, a kid's supervised area, and beautiful locker rooms, and a fitness snack bar.  The architecture and interior design of the facilities are excellent, and the equipment is plentiful.

At the $34.95 per month rate, and  as mentioned being used daily, it was quite a good deal.  I "lift" alternating body parts and do cardiovascular exercise four days, and distance swim three days per week. Three months ago,  the manager of our real estate office negotiated a corporate rate, that lowered the cost to $29.95 per month (with no initiation fee).   We were told to pick up a voucher to give to the  gym manager, and the new rate would be set up for us.  Unfortunately, today was the eighth time  that I was told that this had been processed, and it has not been since it was set up...

Many of the members have no honesty, common courtesy, gym etiquette, or even any appearance of being coherent (see "Tuned In...Tuned out" in this blog)! If they take a paper towel, they drop it on the floor...they never replace weights (in their labeled locations!)...they "hog" equipment by doing multiple sets without allowing anyone to alternate usage with them...they steal the sets of 5-pound increment dumbbells from 10 to 30 pounds...they steal the selectorized pins and equipment attachments...they hardly ever wash their hands after using the restrooms..and .they urinate on the restroom floors and toilet seats, and they stuff up the toilets.  A janitorial service is in continual operation but can not keep up with the actions of the members...I spend a third of my workout time trying to find missing items and put them back in their correct location...

Aesthetically wonderful and well-equipped facilities with fairly lucrative demographics...and then these kind of behaviors...I ask "why"???  

"Keep doing..."

"Keep moving..."

"Use it or lose it!"

If we are fortunate enough to advance in age, we can reduce its effect by following the old Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' slogan of "just do it!"

Our world IS a beautiful place from the morning sunrises to the shimmering of the evening stars...experience as much as you can...

Direct yourselves to do everything that you dream about...

Physically, exercise daily from a morning stretch to some cardiovascular and resistance training...

Mentally, exercise daily from morning meditation to taking in one of the all-present sources of news...

Spiritually, keep updating your beliefs and keeping them close to your heart as guiding directions...

Appreciate your life gifts...thank others, and let them know how much they mean to you...

The world is changing daily at an accelerated rate...but there is another slogan..."the more they change the more they stay the same"...and as our founding fathers said..."we hold these truths to be self-evident..."

"Follow Your Dreams..."

Last night, I had the pleasure of going to a presentation by Frank McKinney, a former tennis pro turned builder and author and his good friend and mentor, Marshall Ulrich.  Both, in their 50's, have competed in the "Badwater", Death Valley 135 mile, at 125 degrees temperature race.  Frank did his 6th time (only 30 people in the world have done it this much) and Marshall did his 17th! After running cross country from San Francisco to New York City in 52 days, Marshall is now training for a 700 mile circumventing run around Death Valley.  They gave a motivating seminar of determining your dreams of extreme life adventures, and against whatever "odds" exist, with "small steps", work toward accomplishing them. 

I returned home to the news of Apple's founder's Steve Job's passing.  He had an amazingly full life from humble beginings in his 56 years.  He spoke of undeterred by the opinions and negavtive reactions of others, to have the courage to follow your heart and vision to lead the life of your dreams! 

"Pizza"

For the last few weeks, every day there has been a woman that stands in the traffic median on U.S. One in front of a takeout/delivery pizza shop, with her arms outstretched, and holding a banner.  The banner says "Special...one topping medium pizza...$4.99...takeaway only."  One evening I disregarded my "life diet" and stopped in.  Two ladies were behind a bullet proof glass wall with a revolving, lockable change tray.  "May I help you?"..."Your banner worked...Ill have a medium pizza with chicken as the topping for the $4.99 special"..."The topping included for the special is cheese.  Other toppings are $2.00 extra so that will be $7.35"..."No, I just want to have the $4.99 "special".  So (sarcastically!) can I order pizza with tomato sauce and chicken?"..."We don't have chicken as a topping!"...(as I read that the pizzas are individually prepared with the finest of ingredients)..."You have a chicken fajita pizza on the menu, so where is the chicken for that?"..."The chicken fajita pizzas are pre-made!"... "Ah well, I guess I'll have the cheese pizza for $5.23!"

"Video Store"

So while waiting for the pizza to be made, i walked into the adjoining video store.  "Welcome to BBVideo...Can I help  you find  a particular title?"..."No thank you.  I'm just waiting for a pizza and haven't been in a video store for years.  What is the rental cost to check one out?"..."$1.00 per day, and we don't increase your costs after 5 days anymore."..."Wow, that's a good price.  Maybe I'll take one out for $1.06 then."  I searched thru some new releases and selected one and proceeded to the checkout.  "That will be $5.30"..."But the price is $1.00 per day, and I'm planning to return it tomorrow, so with tax for the one day rental it should be the $1.06."..."There is a five-day minimum checkout!"..."So why don't you say that it is $5.30 to rent a video?"..."Because it is only $1.00 per day with our "special"!"