I was pondering the phrase the other day…. customer service, hmmmm. Doesn’t that imply that there’s some type of SERVICE involved or connected with the process? A hint at what the person’s job function may be? A clue to what is expected?
I had the unfortunate and rare occasion to visit the emergency room recently. Now I know how hard these folks work. Please don’t get me wrong. I am in sincere awe of the medical profession in general, there are so many skilled and caring individuals that I have run across in my lifetime, I am amazed by their ability to care for the human body and spirit.
Unfortunately, that’s not the caliber of a few people I ran across, all in one day! In some individuals, not a hint of caring or compassion did I witness. Maybe “service” isn’t the right word to use in the medical profession, maybe “patient care” is what they’d prefer. Whatever you call it, it all comes down to taking care of the “customer/patient”. Case in point, front desk person at emergency room. Your first face person, the person who decides whether you live or die, ok, ok, ok, just kidding ….not that much responsibility but nonetheless, an important person in servicing the patients, I would think. This person had less energy, caring and enthusiasm for his job than any human I have ever seen. I think they must have misplaced this guy. Does the morgue need a receptionist? Oh, I digress. Nope, no compasson there… Oh, and a special thanks to the burley guy who’s idea of gently removing the IV imbedded in my hand is by ripping the tape, needle and the whole unit off sideways with one swoop! Ouch! Nope, no caring there… Oh and not to forget the doctor’s office NEVER returned my call or the ER doctor’s call to their office. Did they lose my file ….or the number to the hospital? Hmmmm, nope, no concern there.
So let’s give some kudos to those people who really understand that their job involves some type of service to the other humans. Oh, I am pretty sure these folks make less money than folks in the medical profession so ……….more money doesn’t equal more caring apparently! Money can’t buy you love! Hey …the Beatles got it right!
Waterford Retirement Village: Kudos to the employees and servers there. They are always so kind and pleasant. They are not allowed to take tips but once a year yet these are the friendliest and most accomodating people I’ve seen taking care of our elderly. I’ve never heard one harsh word spoken there or never was a lack of service for the residents.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: Wow, kudos to all those people who work in the service industry. The best service I ever experienced was on this cruise line. I’ve always thought that every service person should take a cruise to see what EXCEPTIONAL customer service looks like. I’ve travelled Princess and Norwegian cruise lines. No comparison. Yes they work for tips, but they are really optional. Excellent, excellent service from the wait staff to the room stewards and everyone in between. Been on 4 cruises with them and never had a bad time nor subpar service.
USAA: What a great company! I’ve had a membership for years but only in the last few years switched my insurance to USAA. Wow! What great customer service. Anytime I’ve had occasion to call them, they were quick, responsive, polite and got the job done! Perfect. Now I’ve also told my two grown kids about their service and they too have joined the bandwagon. They were impressed, too! Hard to believe their mother was right!
Costco: Have you ever had a problem with this company? Every time I had an issue, it was resolved to my complete satisfaction. My husband recently had some eye glasses delayed in delivery. They then sent us a small gift card to apologize for the delay. Nice touch!
Randall’s Supermarket: When I lived in Houston years ago, Randall’s was the higher end supermarket. One of the clerks told me that they weren’t allowed to say “I don’t know” to a customer, they were instructed to find the answer out. I thought this was a great policy. Think about this the next time a clerk tells you “I don’t know” and stares at you like a deer in headlights. Snap out of it…. FIND OUT, it’s called CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
Real Estate Agents: Wow, you’re thinking, she’s really going out on a limb here, isn’t she. Well, yes I am. I expect you, Mr. & Mrs. Customer, to not take poor customer service. I am personally acquainted with many real estate agents who work 7 days a week, taking great care of their clients. I personally strive to go above and beyond what is expected of me by my clients, and so do alot of my fellow agents. On on the other hand, I get calls from people regularly who ask me questions about a property or want to see a house, when I ask them if they have an agent, they tell me yes. When I ask them why they didn’t call their agent, they said “Well, he’s too busy” or “She hasn’t returned my call”. Hello? If you have an agent and you can’t get what you need from them, GET A NEW AGENT! If you’re a reasonable client, not one that calls at midnight expecting an answer, mind you, I said reasonable, you should expect a return call within a rrealistic amount of time. If your agent is leaving you frustrated, it’s time for a heart to heart talk…. or maybe a new agent!
If you are in the customer service industry and a great majority of us are, please review your own service to clients/patients/customers and see if it reflects the kind of service and care YOU would like to receive if you were on the other side of the transaction.
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