Customer Service Matters

Two weeks ago, I ordered a decorated cookie from a local business for my son's class birthday party. I wanted to pick it up first thing in the morning, but the person who took the order said that wouldn't be enough time to get it decorated. I got permission to go during my lunch hour and scheduled the pick up for 12:15. If I left at noon, I could get there at 12:15 and be back to school by 12:30 - just enough time.

On the drive there, I started fretting. What would I do if they spelled the kids names wrong? Nothing is worse for making a student feel special than getting his or her name wrong! But all that fretting was for nothing.

The cookie wasn't even done when I got there.

I was furious! I was on a schedule. I gave them all the extra time they asked for. When a customer says they will be there at a certain time, the product should be ready - it's like a contract. I realized on the way there that I had to run home, so I said I would do that and come back. I grumbled the whole way there. "Not done?! What do you mean it's not done?! I have KIDS waiting for this - counting on this! I have to get back for book fair - I don't have the flexibility to come back later! The party is at 2 and it's almost 12:30! If I have disappointed kids instead of a cookie, other people are going to hear about this business that 'failed' me."

By the time I got back to the shop, I was determined to get some sort of discount for their failure to provide my order on time. I had even rehearsed what I was going to say.

What I didn't plan for was the baker offering to deliver the cookie personally to the school.

I was floored! All my demands for a discount and my indignation went right out of my head. I paid the full price for my cookie, left the address of the school, and said a prayer that it would show up in time for the party. Thankfully, my afternoon was busy the second I got back to school so I had no time to fret about what would happen if 2 pm came and there was no cookie.

At 1:30, my cookie arrived - along with a half dozen cookies for my trouble. Instead of ranting about the business' failure, I was raving to everyone I saw about the baker (not the owner of the business) who delivered it personally when it wasn't done at the appointed time.

This woman redeemed a potential business disaster by taking responsibility and offering to make it right - and she delivered on her promise (literally).

Customer service matters. It has the power to change a day and change an attitude.

Hell Hath No Fury

I despise my cable company right now. There's only one in our area, so they can pretty much do whatever they want. The path of least resistance is to accept them and their ridiculously inflated rates and their bills that go up by $10 on a whim.

I called them several weeks ago to see if I could sign up for a promotion that would get us a more reasonable rate. The rep I spoke to was very nice, found me a deal, and we were all set to go.

Then my next bill arrived. There was no new rate, no prorated bill for the transition to the new rate or any mention of a change whatsoever. So I called them.

They had no record of the previous conversation at all, not to mention my new rates. I had to ask for a supervisor because the rep didn't want to deal with me since my name is not on the account (this has never been a problem in the 15 years we have had service with these people). This is not the first time I have called, worked out a new deal, and then had to call back and start from scratch because there is no record of the call or revised plan.

I. Am. Done.

I don't care what we have to do or who we have to call, but we will be replacing our cable service with something else in the immediate future. And all my Facebook friends and twitter followers have heard the story by now, too.

Customer service matters.