I recently read about a problem that happened with a popular and sucessful travel-planning company wherein a fare to Fuji was improperly posted as costing nothing, save taxes.
Bloggers and reporters doing what they do, this error was publicized far and wide on the internet. Many people took advantage of this error and booked very inexpensive flights to Fuji.
This travel company was faced with a dilema. Do they lose thousands (maybe tens or hundreds of thousands) of dollars and honor the tickets booked, or do they admit that there was an error and refuse to honor the tickets?
The company decided that they cared more about their customer's opinion of them than their potential losses. They issued a letter to the ticket-holders stating that they hoped that the travelers had a fun time in Fiji, and that they would never let an error on their website compromise their customers' experience with their company. To top it all off, the letter was humorous, stated that they were sure that the general public were aware that the fare price was an error, but that they would never renig on a promise to a customer.
Because I found out about this situation from a document shared with me by an independent contractor for a company that I'm affiliated with, I have no documentation to support this story. If nothing else, you can take this as an allegorical example of the message that "the customer is always right". Whether or not you think the company was foolish in their decision, you have to admit that this is exemplary customer service at its best.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Find Me a Job
So I am an extremely poor college student. I have the privilege of having my college education paid for through a sports scholarship but still need to work to be able to support myself through any normal persons life. In the last few months we have found our country in a pretty devastating place. Fuel is now pretty cheap but everything else is much more expensive which puts a burden on myself and I'm sure other college students. Governor Kaine has recently stated that the state of Virginia will decrease its budget by 5% in the upcoming year, which might not seem like too much but the figure actually comes out to 10.1 million dollars. VCU has already put out statements that they are preparing to cope with the budget cuts although where the cuts will be made is not yet been made clear. This will effect all of us.
So, in the midst of this national "money" crisis I need a job. At this point I have drastically lowered my expectations to where I would choose to work, and still no success. I have been all over the Richmond Greater area and still nothing. Everyone just tells me to fill out an application and we'll call you. A week goes by I do the follow up thing and they tell me the same thing. I feel bad for college students in these times that are looking for some king of income and can't find anything. The government is bailing out big businesses because of their money blunders, which I understand somewhat the necessity to do so, but still I feel there isn't any help for college students who work to support themselves through this. If anyone has any answers, I'm all ears.
So, in the midst of this national "money" crisis I need a job. At this point I have drastically lowered my expectations to where I would choose to work, and still no success. I have been all over the Richmond Greater area and still nothing. Everyone just tells me to fill out an application and we'll call you. A week goes by I do the follow up thing and they tell me the same thing. I feel bad for college students in these times that are looking for some king of income and can't find anything. The government is bailing out big businesses because of their money blunders, which I understand somewhat the necessity to do so, but still I feel there isn't any help for college students who work to support themselves through this. If anyone has any answers, I'm all ears.
Friday, October 17, 2008
"Coach: Overpriced and Overrated"
Last September I visited a Coach store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I found the most amazing camel colored boots that I had ever seen. I decided to purchase them and leave them in the box until it was cool enough to start wearing them. It was December before I wore them. I stepped out of my apartment that day and cut across the grass to get to my car. This is when I realized that these boots were NOT made to wear outside at all because they were covered in dark brown spots from the dew on the grass. I ran upstairs and tried to dry them with a hairdryer, but of course the spots did not budge.
I went to Coach the next day and explained my situation. I explained that I would like to either send the boots to coach and see if they could repair the leather and waterproof the surface, or return the boots and get my money back. The sales associate had no idea what to do, so she got the manager to help me further.
The manager reached the counter and that is when my personal battle with Coach began. The first wrong thing that she said to me was that leather always spots when exposed to water and that is just a fact of life with leather products, which is untrue because I have never experienced this with any other leather product. Coach does not even sell a waterproofing agent to prevent this kind of problem. She then tried to sell me a moisturizer that would darken all of the leather to match the dark spots. But, I would have bought dark brown boots in the first place if that were what I wanted. The manager’s next bad move was when she told me that the boots looked perfectly wearable to her alluding to the fact that my problem really was not an issue at all and that I should just go on my way and be happy.
Coach puts you in a Catch-22 because if you let the product spot you will be unhappy, but if you waterproof anything you have to use a product that is not coach because they do not make a waterproofing agent. But, if you use a foreign waterproofing agent Coach is no longer responsible for anything that happens to your product thereafter because you used a foreign product on a Coach item, even if your issue has nothing to do with water damage. That to me is twisted logic and blows my mind!
The manager decides to take my boots for store credit, but I do not have my receipt. She was able to find my exact purchase in the computer, but that was not enough proof for the exchange. She then offered to order the same pair of boots and ship them to the store. But, why would I return my boots for another exact pair so that I could run into the same issues all over again? After some haggling she decided that she would not give my money back, but she would give me a full store credit. At that point I decided to agree, so I began shopping to spend my credit and be on my way. But, as I was shopping she called me to the register and told me that the boots are now actually 50% off and that she could only give me the discounted price since I had no receipt! I was so angry and I refused this and demanded a better solution.
I decided to send the boots to the “Coach Repair Center,” which does not actually repair anything they just determine if the product is repairable or not. A month later I received a letter notifying me that the boots could not be repaired, so they kept them at the repair center. In return they gave me a store credit valued at the sale price of the boots. I was so angry and wrote a letter to corporate about the situation, but still nothing was done. I am still fighting this battle that began last year, and I am not giving up! In short, from this experience I learned not to shop at Coach again and that it is overpriced and overrated!
I went to Coach the next day and explained my situation. I explained that I would like to either send the boots to coach and see if they could repair the leather and waterproof the surface, or return the boots and get my money back. The sales associate had no idea what to do, so she got the manager to help me further.
The manager reached the counter and that is when my personal battle with Coach began. The first wrong thing that she said to me was that leather always spots when exposed to water and that is just a fact of life with leather products, which is untrue because I have never experienced this with any other leather product. Coach does not even sell a waterproofing agent to prevent this kind of problem. She then tried to sell me a moisturizer that would darken all of the leather to match the dark spots. But, I would have bought dark brown boots in the first place if that were what I wanted. The manager’s next bad move was when she told me that the boots looked perfectly wearable to her alluding to the fact that my problem really was not an issue at all and that I should just go on my way and be happy.
Coach puts you in a Catch-22 because if you let the product spot you will be unhappy, but if you waterproof anything you have to use a product that is not coach because they do not make a waterproofing agent. But, if you use a foreign waterproofing agent Coach is no longer responsible for anything that happens to your product thereafter because you used a foreign product on a Coach item, even if your issue has nothing to do with water damage. That to me is twisted logic and blows my mind!
The manager decides to take my boots for store credit, but I do not have my receipt. She was able to find my exact purchase in the computer, but that was not enough proof for the exchange. She then offered to order the same pair of boots and ship them to the store. But, why would I return my boots for another exact pair so that I could run into the same issues all over again? After some haggling she decided that she would not give my money back, but she would give me a full store credit. At that point I decided to agree, so I began shopping to spend my credit and be on my way. But, as I was shopping she called me to the register and told me that the boots are now actually 50% off and that she could only give me the discounted price since I had no receipt! I was so angry and I refused this and demanded a better solution.
I decided to send the boots to the “Coach Repair Center,” which does not actually repair anything they just determine if the product is repairable or not. A month later I received a letter notifying me that the boots could not be repaired, so they kept them at the repair center. In return they gave me a store credit valued at the sale price of the boots. I was so angry and wrote a letter to corporate about the situation, but still nothing was done. I am still fighting this battle that began last year, and I am not giving up! In short, from this experience I learned not to shop at Coach again and that it is overpriced and overrated!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Customer Service Training
So, it’s Sunday morning and you are flipping through the classified ads in your local paper trying to find a job. You come across a company currently looking for a Customer Service Representative for a travel insurance company, and they start at fourteen dollars a hour. You quickly send off your resume and cover letter. You get the job and in training, you realize how high the turnover is, and wonder why people are quitting so quickly? You thought that this was a “gravy job.”
After working there for a month you realize that all the CSR’s at the company has to go through training, but who trains the customers? CSRs ask the age old question “how can I help you” and even the most experienced employee can be caught off guard by the responses. The following is a “crash training” guide for customers to keep in mind before communicating to various representatives of companies (and even family and friends).
1. Know the reason for contacting them. Spending the first five minutes saying “umm” can be frustrating.
2. Be prepared to communicate. Oftentimes people call various companies in the middle of dinner and are unable to stop shoveling the food into their mouths while trying to communicate.
3. Do not ask what has taken so long for someone to answer the phone or attempt. Or try to carry on a conversation about the length of the wait time. Honestly, you are just causing a longer wait for others and no answer will be good enough.
4. Do not ask “are you the only one working?” Likely response, “No, sir. I just enjoy taking on double my workload and working through my lunch break while battling diabetes and low blood sugar.” Clearly, something has came up which is the reason for not having adequate staff, and if you are not controlling the scheduling your inquiries can reopen healing wound.
5. Learn to read between the lines. Although every company has standards (be it either high or low), when you encounter an exceptional CSR that is not capable of your request, but still tries to defer you from speaking with their manager. Sometimes, it’s because the manager received his promotion by knowing the right people, and the current CSR will tell them what they need to tell you.
6. One number does not fit all. When calling Dell computer, do not inquire about your gas bill. They cannot help you. Take the time to find the correct number of your providers.
7. Talk to one person at a time. Carrying on multiple phone conversations may seem to be efficient, but it’s not. Just because you have a home phone and a cell phone does not mean you must use both at the same time.
8. Do not resort to name calling. Although it may feel good to call some people “idiots” and “retards,” but it most likely won’t make them help you any faster or better.
9. Limit the background noise. It is not the right time to call anyone when there is loud music and people screaming in the background. If the call is very important, step outside (or anywhere else that is quiet).
10. Please, please, please do not use the bathroom while on the phone!
After working there for a month you realize that all the CSR’s at the company has to go through training, but who trains the customers? CSRs ask the age old question “how can I help you” and even the most experienced employee can be caught off guard by the responses. The following is a “crash training” guide for customers to keep in mind before communicating to various representatives of companies (and even family and friends).
1. Know the reason for contacting them. Spending the first five minutes saying “umm” can be frustrating.
2. Be prepared to communicate. Oftentimes people call various companies in the middle of dinner and are unable to stop shoveling the food into their mouths while trying to communicate.
3. Do not ask what has taken so long for someone to answer the phone or attempt. Or try to carry on a conversation about the length of the wait time. Honestly, you are just causing a longer wait for others and no answer will be good enough.
4. Do not ask “are you the only one working?” Likely response, “No, sir. I just enjoy taking on double my workload and working through my lunch break while battling diabetes and low blood sugar.” Clearly, something has came up which is the reason for not having adequate staff, and if you are not controlling the scheduling your inquiries can reopen healing wound.
5. Learn to read between the lines. Although every company has standards (be it either high or low), when you encounter an exceptional CSR that is not capable of your request, but still tries to defer you from speaking with their manager. Sometimes, it’s because the manager received his promotion by knowing the right people, and the current CSR will tell them what they need to tell you.
6. One number does not fit all. When calling Dell computer, do not inquire about your gas bill. They cannot help you. Take the time to find the correct number of your providers.
7. Talk to one person at a time. Carrying on multiple phone conversations may seem to be efficient, but it’s not. Just because you have a home phone and a cell phone does not mean you must use both at the same time.
8. Do not resort to name calling. Although it may feel good to call some people “idiots” and “retards,” but it most likely won’t make them help you any faster or better.
9. Limit the background noise. It is not the right time to call anyone when there is loud music and people screaming in the background. If the call is very important, step outside (or anywhere else that is quiet).
10. Please, please, please do not use the bathroom while on the phone!
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