I cannot remember the exact figure, something like “if something good happens you tell one person, something bad you tell twelve”.
I could give a litany of complaints, but it won’t solve anything.
Just go redress the balance, the good ones recently -
Local bathroom fitting company, I suspected a leak from the shower tray, popped into the showroom about 11:30, finished shopping, arrived home about 14:30, van outside the house, sorted in 30 minutes. Then, a week after warranty finished the soft close hinges on the toilet seat failed, replacement fitted within a week.
Bought a new to me car, discovered the pegs that stop the driver side mat sliding were missing and a scuff strip covering the back bumper was coming loose. Parts not on UK spares list, the local Suzuki dealer sourced them from Germany, within a week, fitted, no charge.
Went to John Lewis, who we know have lost the plot, couldn’t find an item despite their app showing nine in stock. Stopped a passing assistant, “I know where they should be…” not there. “Do you have time? I’ll go and look” not there. There’s another stock room, I don’t know it, but if you are ok to wait, I’ll try. Yet again, not there. She then fetches a supervisor, had she tried the library blocks? Apparently they have those racks where you spin a wheel and they open extra shelves. Off they go together. Bingo! She comes back full of smiles, had checked to choose the best decorated, gave me a bar of chocolate for waiting. I then locate dearly beloved who was browsing on her mobility scooter, turn a corner and bump into the assistant and dearly beloved thanks her. She then spends a further twenty minutes acting as personal shopper. Did I write a letter, send a thank you card? Of course I did.
Bought an amplifier, discovered one of the RCA sockets wobbling, contacted maker, on the door with a replacement a week later, this after doing a home demo because I was not fit to travel and no local dealer.
Local pharmacy assistant always has a smile and kind word. There was a problem with the surgery ordering system, she gave up her lunch break to sort things out. I named her in a customer survey, award and bonus…
I went to a self service restaurant and the cashier had been dead for 2 hours. and
nobody knew.
A small example of the lasting impression that good customer service can create.
I broke the watch glass on my RXW Marina Militaire and, while over in England from France, took it into The Watch Workshop, Salisbury. The shop was unable to swap the glass that day and I paid to have it posted back to me in France - with the, what I hoped to be unnecessary, caveat “Please pack well”.
Some time later a Jiffy bag arrived. The sickening graunch from the package was confirmed by the entirely fekked watch within.
I got involved with a series of unsatisfactory e-mails with the shop until, out of the blue, I received a phone call “Hello I’m (I forget his name) the owner of The Watch Workshop UK - would this be a convenient time to speak?” He’d picked up on our mails and become concerned at how my problem was being dealt with. “I think we’ve treated you very badly and I would like you to tell me what we could do to leave you satisfied.”
We agreed that he would reimburse me the cost of the ‘repair’ and the amount I had paid for the watch. I then added that, although I found my request possibly excessive, would he consider having the watch back and repairing it properly as I’d bought it for less than retail from a friend and would not be able to replace it for the amount of compensation. He agreed immediately and all was done to my total satisfaction.
Of course I’d rather they’d never broken my watch but the end result was that I felt better about the company than I ever did when I picked them randomly (closest to where I was staying) in the first place.
I used to say that Naim’s reputation for excellent customer services would never have arisen - if they made reliable products. Which was why I instituted closer cooperation with the in house quality control team and communicated customer experience and informal dealer feedback to production.
It was an attempt to minimise my workload - entirely selfish.
It’s a tier of management , that isn’t really interested , it costs far less to retain a customer than get a new customer .
There is a wonderful advert for Nationwide with the phrase “ lost your life savings? That’s what chatbots are for”
Just found out I am with TalkTalk for broadband and phone service. Speed slower than dial up and crackle on phone line, after trying to negotiate with customer interface on line, switched to Gigaclear
We’ ll see where go from here.
I worked part time for 4 or 5 years in a national builders warehouse chain.
I did the job to keep me off the streets not really needing the meagre pay.
Usually bad service was a situation started by the customer. There seemed to be a strata of visitors who came into the shop looking for a scrap.
Many British males feel put upon by life and will pass their ire down the line at the earliest opportunity. Especially in my experience to middle aged women.
I was paid to put tins and packets on shelves. The irritations manifested when not able to supply answers to quite complicated plumbing,electrical and floor laying techniques were quite, to a less confident person,cruel.
I always explained that if I knewthe answers to those questions why was I working here at 2p above the minimum wage.
I went to an electronics store a week or so ago to look at a gadget and a young salesperson spent quite some time with me discussing the item and advised there was a newly released competitor device coming out which they didn’t stock which might have suited me better or would at least been worth considering.
They now stock the newer device so I made a beeline for this particular salesperson today who again spent a long time with me discussing pros and cons of similar devices. No pushiness to get a sale at all, I was very impressed until the manager appeared and tried to foist a load of accessories/insurance on me which he deemed essential - they didn’t have some of those accessories in stock so nearly lost the sale as little point buying a product if it required something they didn’t have in stock to work properly. The helpful chap put the items they had aside, we went away and researched online and realised the manager was incorrect.
I went back to try to purchase from the helpful individual who was tied up with another customer’s lengthy order. He acknowledged me, apologised that he was busy with someone else and called another lovely salesperson over to complete the transactions. I have no idea if they work on commission, but I’m strongly minded after your post to email their HQ as I could easily have gone to another store and bought the same items at a marginally more advantageous rate but the customer experience made me want to buy from those genuine individuals.
Also worth mentioning recent excellent customer support experience with Direct Line (IT issues aside), VW leasing, Yorkshire BS and Currys.
More often than not I think the staff are fighting the system as much as the customer!
Like everyone I have had problems with customer service. Quite a few years back I told a friend I was have problems with my TalkTalk internet connection and struggling with their customer service. He said I’ll sort you out and gave me the email address for Charles Dunstone (Chairman and founder). I was a bit dubious but I emailed CD and received a reply in 20 minutes saying he would get his team on to the problem. I was then inundated with calls from TalkTalk and the problem was quickly sorted. My friend’s theory was that as many customer service departments were understaffed and lacked authority if you contacted the company chairman he/she would have a pa whose job was to sort out and answer irritating requests from customers! I have to say after I have failed with the normal customer service interaction I have used this method of contacting the company chairman and it has always worked so far.
I’ve twice had to email the CEO of Vodafone to get issues resolved. Worked both times whereas weeks and then days lower down the chain of command had achieved naught.
Willy.
Of course Naim are very good, but not without the odd hiccup! Tesco seems good, if I have a problem with my delivered order I can get through to a person quite quickly and get it resolved. I do keep an eye on customer service for example getting my car serviced and repaired, especially as it is a lot of money. I make sure they follow up and will query what they have done to my car. I did have a service in November and an MOT and unfortunately my check engine light came on, I knew what the code was and was interested in how they sorted it. It was cured by a “software update” and I asked what the update was supposed to do, especially as the warning light came back on a few days later. Still haven’t heard back but the car has been in again and they identified it as a faulty sensor, so once that is sorted and I go to pay the bill I will talk to them about their customer service and the lack of info and try and get a reduction in the bill. Worth trying.
Dealing with internet providers I find very difficult as they have a script and don’t really deviate and trying to find an alternative provider I find almost impossible. Finally the compare sites have their uses but I don’t understand why customer loyalty is not rewarded especially for car insurance.
Moan over.
Merry Christmas all.
Tim
It does cut both ways. I contacted Charles Dunston later. TalkTalk had introduced a new chat line. I used it and there were long gaps (dealing with other customers at the same time) and the chat kept going round in circles as the advisor would repeat something he said earlier. Well after 2 1/2 hours I cut the call off in frustration. CD replied he was copying the transcription of the 2 1/2 call and was going to go through it in detail at the following day’s board meeting as my experience was totally unacceptable. Of course my actual problem was sorted promptly.
I’ve been trying to find the right words to relate my feelings having been subject to negative reactions to being “praised”.
With John Lewis, I have always found them responsive to praise for staff and you are right in so many places the staff are fighting a system. I’ve been in the store more than once on Christmas forays and the seasonal staff have been a delight.
The pharmacy I felt good about because the supervisor gave me the survey card when she heard me thanking the member of staff.
I guess, bottom line, “Do as you would be done by.”
I tend to find that independent smaller and medium sized, local firms provide very good service. Their biz depends on it after all.
Otoh, Virgin Media are absolutely appalling, were beyond dreadful in my recent experience. My wife has recently struggled with getting an issue resolved with John Lewis over the last month or two. Something I’m sure would have been sorted within 2 minutes not so long ago has taken hours of her time across several weeks. Nest pensions, amazingly bad.
To counter this though, there have been a few water issues around here recently and Anglian Water have been first class in not only acknowledging issues when reported but attending and sorting while keeping us all up to date too.
I worked over 21 years In the civil service. I never once received
Any thank you letters about my service.
Was in Tesco in Larne yesterday. Little old lady at the checkout had underestimated the bulk of what she’d purchased. Checkout girl quizzed her about being able to manage her bags and where she was going. Summoned a lad from between the aisles and dispatched him with the lady and instructions to install her in a taxi at the rank across the road.
Willy.
Stuff being cheap and poor customer service often go together. If the cheap item is noy critical to your life or lifestyle, then buy it. If not, avoid.
There is a reason stuff is cheap.
Presumably you didn’t pay much for your spell-checker 
Nah, im just illitarate !
Interesting topic as at my ripe old age I continue to work in an agricultural merchants where we supply to both farming and retail customers. We have many suppliers and what scares the hell out of me is when you ask the person at the end of the suppliers customer service their name to strike up some kind of rapport. I got asked once why I needed this fact after giving my name and not just the company I work for. I agree with some comments that a lack of training can be to blame but when we deal with our own customers issues communication seems the key. But also preparation is a major point in solving the issue. I had an issue with an auto opt in pension scheme lately where I had opted out within the specific period to stop deductions but I still had over £100 taken out plus the employers contribution. On contacting the company in question three attempts to get through to the right person no name given and a half hearted oh yes we can see you opted out and we will have to look into it. Three weeks later nothing rang back started issue all over again with Christmas coming up won’t see that return this side of New Year. Let’s get Darran from Class A to do some training.