So, I’ve been working in customer service, in various incarnations, for nearly 6 years now and i’ve learned a thing or two about how customer complaints can and should be handled. Having been “behind the counter” for so long, I’ve haven’t had to utilize the customer service skills of businesses I patronize, until this weekend.
My girlfriend, Chelsea, was moving into a new apartment and wanted to use movers, but do it on the cheap and stay local, so she did some googling and some research and came up with a company she thought would fit her needs, SA Moving Guy. She called the company and described the move and was quoted $170, total, for the move. So, satisfied with the quote, she booked the movers for a Friday.
Friday rolls around and we have several phone conversations with the movers about how their running behind, etc etc. The storage space which would need to be packed up and moved, closed at 9, the mover’s weren’t able to even make their way to the space until 8:30. All of this after anticipating their arrival around 3-4pm. We grudgingly accept to reschedule for the next day.
The movers arrive on time and begin to load up the space. Over an hour and a half later they finally arrive at the apartment and begin to unload. Just before they finish, I decide to call their office manager to arrange for some sort of compensation for the day we wasted waiting on them.
I called the office manager to try and work out payment and some sort of compensation for our time and was told we would be charged MORE than we were quoted and that he could only authorize a waiver of their “arrival fee” as they did not arrive when they said they would, if I wanted more of a discount, I would have to call the owner Monday. Luckily, the movers were pretty good with their customer service skills and got the owner on the phone for me. The owner, while apologetic, was as insincere about it as is humanly possible, he justified their lateness with saying “things happen” and told me that he could not compensate me any further for our loss of time. After an arduous 5 minute discussion with the man, he discounted our moving rate and we ended our call. Our miserable experience with the company was finally coming to an end. We paid and tipped the movers and they went on their way.
The lack of enthusiastic and adequate customer service was an excellent reminder of how important that job is, especially when it has to do with personal goods left in the charge of strangers. I’m proud to say that I am a customer service representative for a company that does have enthusiastic customer service and does value its customers. I can see how much proper customer service makes a difference in the customer/client relationship and what a benefit that brings customers.
Here at Milliamp, we strive to exceed every single customer’s expectations. From evaluations, to specified repairs, to battery kits, we aim to make our customer’s experience with our products and services positive and pleasant and we do this through excellent communication, support, and a cheerful attitude.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think managing a moving company would be a tough job – tougher than managing an iPhone / iPod / iPad repair company. Good for you for calling to complain and speak with the owner. No business owner likes complaints, but mistakes do happen, and if they do, I want to know about it so I can work with the customer to figure out a solution.
Anthony
One of my favorite customer service quotes is “Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.” -DONALD PORTER