Most of my work experience has had something to do with working with the public and customer service. I worked in radio as an on air personality, I was a waitress and I was even in the most hated profession of all, the dreaded telemarketer. *gasp* One thing I learned was that there is a right way and a wrong way to treat the public. Yes, some people are crazy difficult to deal with, but those are very few and far between, in my experience. Most people really just want you to be nice to them. So, I want to share with you two very different customer service stories of mine from this week so that you who might be venturing into customer service might get an idea of what good and bad customer service look like.
Car Cramming To Disney World
As you may know, we recently came back from Disney World. As of that trip we owned a 2007 Chevy HHR {excellent on gas, small on space} and a 2002 Jeep Liberty {pretty good on gas, a little better on space}. We took the Jeep on the over 9 hour drive with 4 people and all their luggage crammed in the car. Add souvenirs on the trip back and we were packed in like sardines. Jay and I had been discussing getting a new car {since Amber is now driving, too} for a while and this trip was the nail in the coffin.
Customer Service Stories: The Really Good – H&H Auto {Mount Airy, NC}
We have purchased 2 cars from H&H Auto in the past so we like to cruise their lot on occasion to see if they have something we like. Both of the cars we purchased from them in the past were great cars with very few, if any, issues. The HHR that I mentioned earlier is one of them. It has 160K miles on it {most of which I put on it driving to App State} and no real issues of which to speak.
We had been talking about how we liked Chevy Traverses, Ford Edges, Toyota Venzas and GMC Acadias, mostly. This past Saturday we saw a Traverse on the lot. We pulled in and checked it out, but it didn’t have 3rd row seating and it was black. I just don’t really love black or white cars if I can have my choice as they seem to show the most dirt. Then we saw the one I fell in love with – a tan {saddle, actually} colored GMC Acadia. With 3rd row seating and black interior, this baby was the clear winner as far as I was concerned.
Hallelujah For Excellent Customer Service
I give H&H Auto an A+ in customer service. We will definitely go back.
They were closing but we came back on Monday and left with the new-to-us 2012 GMC Acadia SLT. 🙂 Why do I feel this was an example of excellent customer service?
1. They were interested in putting us in the car we wanted, not the one they wanted us to have. {I’ve had salesman say things like, “You’ll love this,” before. Really? How do you know since you don’t know me? lol}
2. They taught us some cool things. The salesman {Dale} sat in the car and showed me how to operate features that were not ones I was accustomed to in either of our other cars. {This baby has a back up camera and climate control!}
3. They were friendly. Friendliness goes a LONG way with me.
4. No pushy sales tactics. We didn’t want to trade a car and they were cool with that and did not try to pressure us into it.
5. They answered all our questions. We bought the extended warranty and they explained it to us in detail and answered all our questions. {Ever been hurried along after filling out paperwork? I have and it’s not cool. That was not the case here}.
Customer Service Stories: The Bad And The Ugly – Unnamed Cell Phone Carrier
Now to a totally different customer service story…I have been with my current cell phone carrier for almost 10 years. This will be my last week. Trust.
Disclaimer: We have written about Walmart Family Mobile powered by T-Mobile on here and we are getting ready to review Virgin Mobile. I am not talking about either of these companies as we like them both. However, I won’t name this company because I don’t want to taint other’s opinions of them. I just want to share my experience.
I loved my first 5 or so years of service with them. But they started a new plan that is based on points and it has been horrible ever since then. My biggest problem with them is customer service. Every time I would call after they started this plan, they tried to offer it to me. I said no. They offered again. Still no. I did my research and it would have added $30 to my plan monthly. My plan was already way more expensive than my husband’s, so no thanks.
Finally I told them to stop offering me that plan as I was not interested. I had a grandfathered plan that was great and I planned to keep it.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I have had tons of equipment problems with them. They always seem to get the cool phones about 100 years after everyone else and their phones don’t seem to last as long. I know this because we are a household with more than one company {as I mentioned earlier}. I complain and they always blame me for my phones breaking. There are never any apologies, no offers to make it right, just accusing me of dropping my phone, getting it wet, whatever. It’s never a faulty phone. Never.
So, after considering the poor quality of the phones, the lack of choices and the high price of the plan, I decided to leave them this summer. I called to cancel and this “super nice guy” {I was shocked} talked me into renewing by offering me something better. He promised that I could get a phone later at a discounted rate {I didn’t want to buy a new phone just then} if I would just stay with them for two more years. He also told me if I kept two lines, I would get this super discount. I really didn’t want to keep that 2nd line as I didn’t need it, but I did just to get the multi-line discount {otherwise he stressed that the single line would be more expensive}. The price sounded good. I got good customer service for a change. So, I decided to stay.
Tonight I called to get a new phone that I was promised would be available since I had renewed. And I was told I would have to pay full price for it or get a higher priced plan to get a discount. What? This is definitely not what I was told by “super nice guy.” In the end, the rep {Karen} I spoke to basically said I was a liar and that he wouldn’t have told me that {I guess she knew this because she was there???}. We argued for a while about it, she wouldn’t honor the contract I had agreed to previously and finally she agreed to let me out of my contract if I could “find a better deal elsewhere.”
Not a problem. My husband already has one. So, here is why I think I received bad customer service…
1. The rep called me a liar – not in that exact terminology, but she repeatedly said the “super nice guy” didn’t tell me what I said he did.
2. She talked down to me. She kept talking to me as if the reason I didn’t want their plan is because I simply couldn’t afford it. {It’s not about an inability to afford the plan – though it isn’t her business why I would like a cheaper plan anyway. I just think spending $30 more a month for a cell phone with poor customer service just isn’t worth the price. I’d rather spend that towards a car, trip, etc.}
3. She didn’t listen. She talked over me almost the entire conversation and several times when I tried to talk she would say “Like I said…” in a really smart alecy tone without ever really answering my questions.
4. When I asked for clarification on certain things, she just kept repeating the same thing over and over, acting like she was exasperated with my wanting full details. {Being able to explain something in terms that your audience can understand is a sign of wisdom, not repeating things over and over – that just shows you don’t understand the concept yourself but have instead memorized it. That is when you should ask someone else who does know the answer}.
I don’t recall ever speaking to a customer like that in my many years of customer service. I would have been terrified that I would have gotten fired. Plus, it’s just rude. However, I have found that complaining about this particular company gets me nowhere so, after almost 10 years, I will be moving to a new cell phone company. It’s apparent that my business is not needed there.
I have been with the same insurance company since like 2007, we have owned the same home for almost 10 years, we have bought 3 cars from the same dealership and on and on. I don’t like to just hop around from company to company. I really tried to make it work with this cell phone carrier, but sometimes it’s time to just part ways.
OMG, I know how you feel with the cell phone customer service. That picture is totally me. The provider I had before my current one was AWFUL!
One thing that sticks out in my mind was the rep said something about customers not being loyal. Perhaps they should figure out what they can do on their end to change that. I am loyal to quite a few companies. This cell phone provider just won’t be one much longer.
Good customer service is nearly impossible to find nowadays. No matter where we go we come across reps that are rude, not helpful and give the attitude that they hate their job. When I find good customer service I let the managers know how much I appreciate it.
When customer service is good, it’s so good! When it’s bad… Well, I think your picture pretty much summed it up.
Good customer service from a place means I will be a customer for life. It’s rare to get it these days.
It really is. We dropped cable and then satellite because of the horrendously poor customer service. Turns out I like having Netflix and such better anyway. And it’s a lot cheaper. I would have never found that out had it not been for getting consistently poor customer service from our cable and then satellite provider.
Wow, what drastic differences. I’ve been shocked at terrible customer service in the past – completely shocked.
Oh seriously! customer service makes all the difference! I have stayed with some companies who are more expensive simply because it is worth it with the nice customer service! Others have cheaper rates, but I won’t give them service because the customer service is horrible. Since when did customer service learn it’s ok to be belittle the customer? What happened to “the customer is always right?” It’s so frustrating. when I worked in Customer Service, by golly the customer had better be happy or else it was my job on the line!
I am like you. I will definitely go somewhere that is more expensive just to be treated better. I have no idea why some people think it’s okay to talk to people the way they do. I know the person that I talked to last night had nothing to do with the person who lied to me, but it really makes me mad that she took his side when she was not there. Had I been on her end, I would have been apologetic, tried to make the situation right and if I couldn’t, I would have found someone else who could have.
Some companies just say whatever to get you to stay. There really isn’t enough protection out there for the consumer.
I’m a huge fan of customer service. If a company doesn’t have good customer service, I won’t stick around no matter what else they’ve got going on. I don’t have time for BS.
I did some telemarketing back in the day. Boring job! I refuse to talk to telemarketers on the phone. If by some chance, they get me on the phone, I come up with some stories that get them to hang up and not call back.
Lol! You could just ask to be put on the Do Not Call list. 🙂
Customer service has a lot to do with weather i buy something or not. I am in the market for a car and recently encountered a really pushy salesman. I did not even go for a test drive .
Oh no. I hope you find someone much better next time you go looking.
That’s a sweet ride. It’s so awesome that you found a dealership that you love. Usually, poor customer service goes hand in hand with a car dealership.
Oh, I know that. I have definitely had poor customer service at car dealerships before. That makes me appreciate the good ones even more.
We had a great experience when we bought our van. Customer service in sales is so important, regardless of what you’re selling!
So many of us these days have cell phone, and the companies try so hard to get our business. That’s why it amazes me that there are so many stories of horrible customer service. I’ve had my share of cell phone arguments. Blech.
You know what’s funny – this cell phone carrier used to be the only option in our area. Now they have competition from tons of other companies that have moved in and their customer service has went down hill terribly. You would think they would try harder to retain their customers.
You know, customer service can really change my whole outlook on a company! If a company provides me great costumer service, I’m always a returning costumer!
I cannot stress the important of good customer service. Personally, I cannot stand the dreaded automated phone systems being used these days, in lieu of actually speaking to a real person. Excellent customer service can truly make, or break, a deal, a day, an experience.
I am with you. I hate the automated phone systems today, as well, but sometimes talking to a real person can be even worse, sadly.
Customer service and really make or break an experience for sure. I love the new car!
You are definitely right about that. Thanks so much. 🙂
Love your car! Good service means I’ll be a customer for life.
It is always nice when you shop for a car and don’t feel pushed into anything. We, too have had issues with our cell phone company and their customer service.
I worked retail for many years and here is what bugs me most about bad customer service. It is not that hard to be nice, even if you are not telling the customer what they want to hear. I hate people who are rude and talk down to you.
Definitely. I don’t believe that the customer is always right, but I do believe that you should actually listen to the customer and treat them with respect.
Customer service is so very important. Good to hear the good and the bad when it comes to important topics like this!
When it comes to shopping I admit, I love it! However, car shopping and services are a whole other ball game I DREAD!!!!!
oh i hear you some cell phone companies should really not have some customer service people they hire its annoying and a disgrace to the company. I have had some good ones and some really really bad customer service providers and I too do not like hopping from one company to the next I like to stay where i am with good relations but sometimes you just gat to do it
Nothing makes me feel better than a great customer service rep. On the flip side, nothing infuriates me more than a horrible one.
Good customer service is so important. If I have a bad customer service experience I won’t use that company again.
I used to work in customer service and there are stories of customers I could tell… It’s a tough job working with the public!
Oh yeah, me too! It’s definitely not easy working in customer service. That’s part of the reason I appreciate the great service I receive all the more. I have definitely been there and done that. 🙂
I have definitely had my fair share of bad customer service. I’m happy you had a great experience.
Some people are just not suited for customer service jobs. I have a sister-in-law who can’t keep a job because she’s so abrasive and has no tolerance. I’m thinking her latest job suits her, we’ll see. Sorry you had bad service, that’s never fun.
I find that the ones that act like that or who constantly lose jobs never think it’s their fault either. Sheesh.
I’ve been in customer service my whole working life. Even know with my Scentsy business it’s all about giving the best customer service, because truth is, there are lots of consultants out there to choose from. It’s all about how you treat your clients. Sorry to hear that you had a bad service from that phone company!
Thank you so much. You are so right. It’s not like it used to be. There are tons of cell phone providers to choose from now, too.
Good customer service can be hard to find. There are some people that just shouldn’t deal with the public.
I absolutely do not like poor customer service anywhere, I mean if it wasn’t for the customer they wouldn’t make any money at all right? So the least they can do is be nice. Also, I love your new car!
Thank you so much! We love it so far. 🙂
I’m so glad you had a positive experience with your car dealership!! Unfortunately, I’ve had similar situations with cell phone carriers- they’re the worst!
It’s crazy. My daughter and husband have a different plan and have had nothing but good experiences with theirs.