Whether you’re in business or a consumer, you can relate to the following statements:
- “Delivery on grand pianos is always extra. So, do you want to take it with you?”
- “I’m not sure about that question. You can call our tech support in India, if you want.”
- “The estimate we gave you could be much more depending on lots of other factors.”
- “That item may or may not work with your current system. Does that answer help you?
- “We’ve never had a problem with this before. You must have done something stupid.”
- “You say the instructions for assembly were in Spanish. Is that a problem?”
- “We are the experts and have been in business for years. We don’t make mistakes.”
- “If we did happen to make a mistake, it’s probably just a simple misunderstanding.”
- “In order to lower costs and improve service, we dropped our customer-care division.”
- “I’m new here and don’t know much about the product line. Can I help you anyway?”
- “The price our phone tech quoted for your furnace didn’t include parts or service.”
- “We don’t carry the top-rated one anymore. But this one is way cheaper and better.”
- “I’m sorry we lost your order. But we can have it ready a week after your event.”
- “The person you spoke to is no longer here. I guess you’ll have to start all over again.”
Isn’t it sad and rather pathetic? As a former business person and marketing consultant, I used to counsel companies on how to provide better customer service. The problem is, we are so used to being abused and ignored, when we receive even a tiny shred of service, we are thrilled and giddy with excitement. It shouldn’t really be that way. We should expect minimal standards and demand such when we make a purchase. But, as long as we take this negative treatment, the businesses these statements represent will continue their appalling ways. Consumers unite and don’t settle for lousy service. Boycott those firms and help put them out of business. Fighting back is our only option to attempt to recapture the lost art of quality customer service.