Sorry
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Posted Sat 2 February 2008 @ 3:57 p.m. by Ernie Newman
I had a frustrating experience with a contact centre over the break, which caused me to reflect.
For twelve years I've been the captive customer of a loose leaf diary system. It's not cheap but it fills my needs for a quality system suited to my extreme multi-task lifestyle.
Before Christmas I emailed through an order for my 2008 loose leaf pages. It was filled efficiently as always. The pages arrived next day at the office and without opening the pack I took them home.
After Christmas I opened them to update and found instead of 2008 pages, they were 2007.
Next working day I phoned the contact centre and spoke to Andy (all names changed.) His major concern was to get the pages back - he initially wanted them returned before he would agree to replace them. I'm not sure what he thought they would be useful for. But we did a deal - if I sent them back next day, he would concurrently send the correct ones.
And indeed a couple of days later the second lot arrived as promised. 2008 - yes, but the wrong size.
I rang the contact centre and spoke to Bertha. Again we did a deal - she would arrange for a third attempt to be made to get the order right - and yes, again I would return the deficient order.
Two more days, no pages. So I rang and got through to Carol.
Carol - and this is the point of the story - was the first of the agents I had spoken to who used the word "sorry" or in any way indicated regret about the stuffing-around they were giving me.
I was reminded of a take out from the TUANZ Contact Centre Conference last year - always reassure an angry customer that you understand how they feel - that they have a right to be angry. I know why now, from a customer's perspective.
Sadly the saga did not end there. Carol put me through to a supervisor who promised to get onto it. No "sorry."
And two days later, no pages. I rang back and spoke to the supervisor to be told that the matter was "near the top of her "to do" list."
With great restraint I suggested that after they had mishandled the order twice, perhaps the matter should have been promoted up the list from the outset.
Still no "sorry" from the supervisor but the pages were sent that night.
To the wrong address.
I got them, eventually.
I can be very intolerant of bad customer service. We all make mistakes, but a mistake well handled can win a friend for life.
And "sorry" is the underused word that starts the healing process. Lets use it more and include it in training.
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