Ok, ok I know I said I'd do self service is no service this week but I've had another experience I want to share with you as it beautifully illustrates the difference good customer service can have on customer retention.
I have spent the last week trying to sort out a new mobile and have had two contrasting conversations with my current provider T-Mobile which illustrate the right way and the wrong way of dealing with customers.
My first conversation was with a charming young man during which I explained that I was exploring possibilities and wished to discuss my pricing plan and phone provision.
I explained that I had been looking around at deals and had found what I considered to be a pretty good deal from 3G being: a brand new Motorola Razor V3x, 200 voice minutes, 100 txts, 25 video minutes, 25 vms/mms and £5 free downloads all for £17:50 pm.
As I currently use below 200 minutes a month and well under 100 txts this would suit me fine, my current tarif is £39pm and this seemed like a very attractive offer.
I then went on to explain that I didn't really care about the video stuff but wanted to reduce my tarif and upgrade my phone.
The gentleman then went on to offer me a very attractive package of 250 minutes, 100 texts, and a Nokia 6131 at £15pm, I hadn't seen the handset discussed so I said I'd take a look over the weekend and asked him to ring me on Monday at 4pm to discuss.
Sadly he failed to do so for some reason so today I rang back and spoke to another colleague at T-Mobile with completely different results.
I told her that I had been discussing my plan with a colleague who had offerred me the above deal but that I had now had a chance to examine the Nokia 6131 and hated it, I asked to negotiate based on the Motorola V3i.
The Dear Lady concerned promptly told me that it would be £30 pm, that there was no room for manouver and that there were no notes on my file about the previous offer, she then asked me what I had been offered elsewhere, something she should have done first I'd have thought but hey what do I know?
I explained what I had been offered and her only comments were are you in a 3G area and if you transfer you won't get the same level of service you've had for the last 5 years, 5 years of line rentals and call charges all paid on time I might add.
I asked her for the PAC code so that I could transfer to 3G and she went off onto an obviously prepared speech about transfers taking 5 working days and being liable for all outstanding charges etc.
She then gave me my PAC code in a very abrubt manner, I'm a funny bugger but the ruder people are to me the nicer I am to them, it drives them wild, and by the time she'd finished I was being very nice indeed.
I then rang 3G and spoke to a charming young lady called Daniella who talked me through the plans available and I ended up with 750 minutes, 150 txts, 50 video mins, 50 vms/mms, £5 worth of downloads and a motorola v3x for £21 pm, £3:50 more than I intended but a hell of a lot more minutes and stuff.
I guess I was influenced by the poor attitude of the Dear Lady at T-Mobile and my good intentions about video crumbled.
So what have we learnt?
Had I spoken to my original guy at T-Mobile I'd probably have signed up with them again for more than £15 pm as it's a more expensive phone but less than the £30 for sure, occaisionally I have heavy months and spend a lot of time on the phone, 2 months ago I spent £129 for instance and that money has been lost to T-Mobile and transferred to 3G.
Over the 12 months I would have spent lets say £20pm on rental with occasional large bills amounting to who knows what? > £600 certainly over the course of the year.
By not offering me a £120 discount T-Mobile have lost £480 in turnover I have no idea what that converts to in profit but I do know that businesses that treat their customers in a cavalier fashion very soon find themselves in trouble.
Like all disgruntled customers I'm telling my friends, sadly for T-Mobile that amounts to a few more than the 7 surveys suggest.
Ok next week, failing something extraordinary Self service is no service...
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
It's not our fault...
Arghhhhhhh I hate banks !!!!
I was going to talk about self-service today but I have had a fairly typical example of poor customer service that I thought I'd share with you.
I have 4 bank accounts with Nat West that I control on-line, I keep most of my money in my savings account and transfer it around as I need to.
Last week I transferred enough money to cover my credit card direct debit on the due day, yesterday I got a letter informing me that there wasn't enough money in my account and that my DD had been refused, oh and btw we're charging you £38 to tell you!
When I contacted my credit card company MBNA they told me that they would be charging me £50 late payment charge and £45.90 interest !!!
Needless to say I queried this with the bank and they calmly informed me that I should have transferred the money the day before and that even though the transfer appears on my account in the same dark blue as the debit, one is processed the day before, after I expressed dissatisfactionion with this they grudgingly agreed to refund the £38 but stated that as it wasn't their fault they wouldn't refund the £45.90.
My credit card company MBNA did agree to refund the £50 but also refused to do anything about the £45.90 interest charged as it wasn't their fault.
So it has cost me £45.90 to learn to transfer money the day before it's due to be paid out of my account.
Now I may have given you the impression that I learnt all this in one or two calls, in actual fact it took 14 phone calls and two hours to get that far.
I then put in a complaint via Nat West's web site detailing my trial and tribulations and a very nice lady rang me only a few hours later to inform me that "as it wasn't their fault they wouldn't refund the £45.90. "
My conclusions:
1. Always transfer funds the day before you need them
2. Banks have a poor attitude to customer care
3. Don't expect to resolve any issues quickly or painlessly
Now I'm not a vindictive guy but sheesh !
I am now in the market for a new Credit Card company and a new bank, recommendations please?
Next week I really will do Self-service is no service
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com/
I was going to talk about self-service today but I have had a fairly typical example of poor customer service that I thought I'd share with you.
I have 4 bank accounts with Nat West that I control on-line, I keep most of my money in my savings account and transfer it around as I need to.
Last week I transferred enough money to cover my credit card direct debit on the due day, yesterday I got a letter informing me that there wasn't enough money in my account and that my DD had been refused, oh and btw we're charging you £38 to tell you!
When I contacted my credit card company MBNA they told me that they would be charging me £50 late payment charge and £45.90 interest !!!
Needless to say I queried this with the bank and they calmly informed me that I should have transferred the money the day before and that even though the transfer appears on my account in the same dark blue as the debit, one is processed the day before, after I expressed dissatisfactionion with this they grudgingly agreed to refund the £38 but stated that as it wasn't their fault they wouldn't refund the £45.90.
My credit card company MBNA did agree to refund the £50 but also refused to do anything about the £45.90 interest charged as it wasn't their fault.
So it has cost me £45.90 to learn to transfer money the day before it's due to be paid out of my account.
Now I may have given you the impression that I learnt all this in one or two calls, in actual fact it took 14 phone calls and two hours to get that far.
I then put in a complaint via Nat West's web site detailing my trial and tribulations and a very nice lady rang me only a few hours later to inform me that "as it wasn't their fault they wouldn't refund the £45.90. "
My conclusions:
1. Always transfer funds the day before you need them
2. Banks have a poor attitude to customer care
3. Don't expect to resolve any issues quickly or painlessly
Now I'm not a vindictive guy but sheesh !
I am now in the market for a new Credit Card company and a new bank, recommendations please?
Next week I really will do Self-service is no service
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com/
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The Icing on the bun
When you pick a bun which one do you pick?
Ok I know you don't do this very often but imagine yourself popping into your local bakers to buy an iced finger, you look at the tray of attractive looking buns with glistening white icing and a cherry on top and you choose one.
What influenced the decision, why did you choose bun number 3 over the other buns in the tray?
If you are anything like me bun number three looked like it had more icing or a juicier cherry or was slightly bigger than it's tray-mates, ohh another new word.
What fundamental truth are we looking at here I hear you ask.
Ok I know you don't do this very often but imagine yourself popping into your local bakers to buy an iced finger, you look at the tray of attractive looking buns with glistening white icing and a cherry on top and you choose one.
What influenced the decision, why did you choose bun number 3 over the other buns in the tray?
If you are anything like me bun number three looked like it had more icing or a juicier cherry or was slightly bigger than it's tray-mates, ohh another new word.
What fundamental truth are we looking at here I hear you ask.
People like a little bit extra.
Ok so not very exciting I admit but absolutely vital to winning that extra bit of business, I know I'm here to espouse excellent customer service but it doesn't mean I should be blind to why or indeed how it is provided.
That little bit extra is what encourages me to buy and it's what encourages the vast majority of other people to buy too, so why is it in such short supply?
You'll not be surprised to know that I saw the principal in action this week at Tres Gourmet, the coffee shop where I go most weekends to enjoy some great coffee, fabulous almond croissant and world beating customer service.
Whilst we were trolling through one of the free newspapers and enjoying our coffees a lady came in for a cappucino, nothing extraordinary in that, whilst she waited for the lady serving to brew it she mentioned that the cup she had purchased on Friday had been less than full.
I think she said it had been half empty, obviously an exaggeration as she wouldn't have bought it had that been the case, but still she obviously felt that she had been given short measure.
The lady serving, not the manager or anything, instantly apologized and gave her her current order, two coffees I might add, for free.
Now that impressed the socks off me for a number of reasons.
1. The staff member felt confident enough to give an instant double refund on her own authority
2. The manager had trained them to do it or at the least trained them to think like that
3. She went the extra mile and gave her double her money back, in effect.
By instantly apologizing and giving her more than she expected she turned a disgruntled customer into an evangelist, how do you think she felt when she walked away with her two free coffees?
Do you think she kept it to herself or do you think she told her whole office about it?
Now I don't know whether she was trying it on, and if she was she'll soon come a cropper as the staff member concerned will certainly remember her or whether she had indeed been given short measure but I do know this, She sure got the icing on the bun.
Next time: Self Service is no service
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com/
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Two Lattes and an almond croissant
Every week I make it a point of popping down to a cafe not very near me for the above order, it's called Tres Gourmet and it's on the Lower Addiscombe Road in Croydon.
Why do I hear you ask ?
Well you know me, I'm going to tell you anyway :)
It's the quality of customer service that drags me back as well as the quality of the goods, ok I will admit that their almond croissant is fabulous but their coffee isn't any better than anyone else using a Gaggia machine's so let's examine what's so good about their service.
When I walk in with my wife whoever is serving looks up smiles and says hello, if it's the boss he tends to say welcome back and makes some other comment before asking what we'd like, when I give my order he asks me if I've tried such and such an item, would my wife like something etc. and when I have assured him that that is what I want he asks me to be seated and offers to bring my order to my table.
My order arrives in due course placed carefully on the table and a further enquiry made as to whether I require anything else before we are left to enjoy.
My wife and I sip our drinks and share our croissant, well I eat most of it and she has a nibble as she's always on a diet, and we chat, read the complimentary papers, I tend to people watch, relax and generally enjoy our trip.
When we are ready to go, assuming we don't give in and have another coffee or "just a smidgeon of that wonderful looking carrot cake" I carry our used crockery to the checkout and pay.
Whoever serves me enquires whether I was satisfied and asks if I want to take anything home before dealing with the bill and finally as we leave we are fare-welled, ooh did I just make up a word?, we leave smiling.
The place is clean, the tables regularly cleared, the offering varied and fresh, it sits on the corner of a not very inspiring street.
Not so very different from a number of places I hear you say, no indeed but here is the interesting part what else do they have in common?
They are all busy :)
The boss of this little coffee shop, and if he carries on like this I don't expect him to end up with just one, has learnt one important lesson, and with the risk of repeating myself hanging Damocles like over my head "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
Next time: The Icing on the bun
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com/
Why do I hear you ask ?
Well you know me, I'm going to tell you anyway :)
It's the quality of customer service that drags me back as well as the quality of the goods, ok I will admit that their almond croissant is fabulous but their coffee isn't any better than anyone else using a Gaggia machine's so let's examine what's so good about their service.
When I walk in with my wife whoever is serving looks up smiles and says hello, if it's the boss he tends to say welcome back and makes some other comment before asking what we'd like, when I give my order he asks me if I've tried such and such an item, would my wife like something etc. and when I have assured him that that is what I want he asks me to be seated and offers to bring my order to my table.
My order arrives in due course placed carefully on the table and a further enquiry made as to whether I require anything else before we are left to enjoy.
My wife and I sip our drinks and share our croissant, well I eat most of it and she has a nibble as she's always on a diet, and we chat, read the complimentary papers, I tend to people watch, relax and generally enjoy our trip.
When we are ready to go, assuming we don't give in and have another coffee or "just a smidgeon of that wonderful looking carrot cake" I carry our used crockery to the checkout and pay.
Whoever serves me enquires whether I was satisfied and asks if I want to take anything home before dealing with the bill and finally as we leave we are fare-welled, ooh did I just make up a word?, we leave smiling.
The place is clean, the tables regularly cleared, the offering varied and fresh, it sits on the corner of a not very inspiring street.
Not so very different from a number of places I hear you say, no indeed but here is the interesting part what else do they have in common?
They are all busy :)
The boss of this little coffee shop, and if he carries on like this I don't expect him to end up with just one, has learnt one important lesson, and with the risk of repeating myself hanging Damocles like over my head "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
Next time: The Icing on the bun
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com/
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