Special Guest Blogger - Barbara Dinsdale
Am I really expecting
too much when it comes to basic standards of customer service?
I have encountered
appalling responses recently in three very different scenarios.
Case 1 - I am still
waiting for the return of a garment which I sent to a local cleaners that I've
used for several years and who have always provided a good service.
They pick
up and return to the office, turnaround in 24 - 48 hours and are reasonably
priced. In August I asked them to do a simple alteration (I'm told they
outsourced it) which, when it was returned, was completely unacceptable. It was
collected the following day to be corrected and, despite numerous phone calls
and more recently emails, it has still not been returned.
Case 2 - Despite
responding to three additional requests by a Board of Trustees and being
promised a response "by the end of the week", two full weeks later, I had to
telephone them to be told, "I was going to get round to it today - you're on my to-do list!"
Case 3 - A sub-standard
print job to which I emailed the printer and explained the issue. I received a patronising
response about ‘tolerance limits’ with the words: "...if it's a discount you’re
looking for…” (which I wasn't).
The point I'm making is
that all of these cases could, in my opinion, have been handled better. Or is it
just me?
A Recent Update
By way of a brief
update, I've spoken to the cleaning company today and they have promised to
'find it' and have it delivered today or by tomorrow at the latest - I'll keep
you posted.
With regards to the
printer, he has issued a credit note for 50% of the invoice and hopes he can do
business with me again!
Barbara Dinsdale