Service to Shout About

This is not normal. I'm yelling at a customer service rep from GiftCards.com. I don't yell at people--at least very often.

How did this happen?

This is a quick tale of customer service from two companies, with lessons for us all.

About a year ago I was awarded a gift card by one of my top clients as part of their reward and recognition program for outstanding performance. The award from GiftCards.com is supposed to act like a normal VISA card so it should be accepted anywhere that VISA cards are allowed.

We had multiple problems with the card, including some fraud shortly after it had been activated. My outburst to the customer service rep was in reaction to how they dealt with the fraud: there was no recourse. We were out the money. But that wasn't the biggest deal. If I wanted a new card issued for the remaining balance, they would have to charge me.

The message: "We can't help you." It shouldn't have gotten me so upset. These days I should have even expected it.

Contrast this to the purchase of our first Mac last week. If you've bought from Apple before, you already know what I found out... It's a great experience. A guy named Ben walked me through the in's and out's and made a recommendation we are excited about.

Part of our payment for the Mac was with the gift card. Though GiftCards.com gave Apple an authorization, the fraud occurred before Apple transferred funds, meaning there was not enough remaining balance to cover the original amount charged.

How did Apple handle the issue? They contacted me to let me know what was up. I chased down GiftCards.com to see what had happened, then explained it to Apple. I suggested putting the remaining balance of my purchase on another card. But check this out: Apple's customer service rep said, "That's not necessary. I am authorized to discount the computer by the remaining amount."

What? I was floored. Apple basically said, "We'll make this problem go away."

No computer manufacturer has the margin that Apple discounted for me. Apple chose to serve a customer to win them for life. GiftCards.com chose to follow a policy and lose a customer for life.

Some lessons:

• Regardless of the business you're in, be known for making problems go away. We've all heard that we need to bring solutions, not problems. Make sure that's your reputation.
• The longer term view can help you realize that a concession today can help you gain far more over the long term. "Penny-wise and pound-foolish" is unfortunately the motto of too many organizations during these difficult times.
• I actually called the rep back at GiftCards.com and apologized for yelling at him. Though I will never use their products again, he didn't deserve the treatment I gave him. The lesson: let's treat people respectfully. Life's too short to do otherwise.
• Final lesson: talk to Ben when you want to buy a Mac. :)

Labels: communication, conflict, customer service

posted by Andy at 6:39 AM  

Great Customer Service Trumps Technology Nightmare

Here's the setting: I'm interviewing Dr. Kenneth W. Thomas for my podcast yesterday. Ken is one of the most influential researchers in worker empowerment and conflict management, with his Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) having sold over 6 million copies.

We're having a great interview. He's into it, I'm enjoying it. His PR guy is on the line, very happily quiet. The marketing rep for a publisher is listening in, contentedly. It's a podcaster's dream.

The interview finishes and I hit the "Stop" recording button on the software which has captured every word of this interview over Skype.

And my computer locks up.

What is going on? I can't talk to them. My mouse won't even move. The computer is frozen. I don't know if the interview is saved. I am freaking out.

I quick grab a land line and call the conference line to let them know I wasn't rudely dishing them now that I got the interview! I mention the problem and that we may have to re-record. Everyone is gracious and willing but I am ticked.

I decide to walk upstairs from my recording studio/office to get a cup of coffee, take a deep breath or two, and pray with my wife that the recording was salvageable. I go back downstairs and stretch every geek gene and neuron to recover the temp file that I see but cannot listen to.

Sigh.

I contact the provider of the software (CallGraph) and express my displeasure. Realizing they are in India I didn't expect a response, but got one in less than an hour. I tried a couple recommended steps without success and decided to just send them the file with SendThisFile.com.

As I dozed off last night I couldn't help but admit this was just another technology nightmare. And it had to happen on this interview...

I checked e-mail first thing this morning and saw an incredible message in my inbox. The subject read "Recovered file." As it turns out, Rajiv from CallGraph worked his magic and recovered everything except the last second or two. Unbelievable.

Turns out prayer still works. :) And it also showed incredible customer service from a little known company that offers free Skype recording without time limits. There are settings, I've learned from Rajiv, to avoid the panic that I experienced.

It is with confidence and appreciation that I recommend CallGraph (www.callgraph.biz) to my customers and colleagues who want a tool to record Skype conversations.

Andy Kaufman
Host of the People and Projects Podcast

Labels: customer service, podcast

posted by Andy at 6:57 AM  

Almost like O.J. Running Through the Terminal

Here's the situation.... My son and I have boarded an American Airlines flight, headed for Miami. He realizes he doesn't have his coat with him. We suspect it was left in the Admirals Club(R) but don't know for sure.

We certainly don't need the coat for this trip but we don't want it to be lost. It's too late to try and de-plane, run to the Club, and get back in time for the flight. Missing the flight isn't an option either.

I call my wife who then calls the Admirals Club. A woman named Renee Ribant answers the phone, understands the issue, then goes and finds the coat.

And then the incredible thing happens. She runs to our flight's gate (which was not close), gets there before the airplane door closes (literally within a minute or so), and convinces the reluctant gate agent to bring the coat onboard. As we're about to be pushed away from the gate, a flight attendant hands us the coat.

In a world where examples of lousy customer service abound, I was impressed. I spend enough time in Admirals Clubs to know that the Renee's that work there don't typically have a lot of time on their hands. I intersect with enough service industry people to know many, even if they had the time, wouldn't "O.J." through the terminal for a coat.

But then there's Renee. Guess what will go through my mind when it's time to re-up for my Admirals Club membership this fall?

Do you have a great customer service story? Post it as a comment. It's good for us all to be reminded that "above and beyond" customer service still lives.

Labels: accountability, customer service

posted by Andy at 12:43 PM