I have something I need to get off my chest. Recently I had a terrible customer service experience that left me feeling cold.
It’s something we’ve all experienced at one time or another—I certainly haven’t been immune—but this time it felt different. Without going into too much detail, I signed up for a service that was a disappointment from the start. The on-boarding process, which was done entirely online, was very muddled and confusing. I had numerous questions, something which is pretty standard during an on-boarding process, which went unanswered (the one response I did get was extremely terse), and certain things that were promised and not delivered. For a service where good customer support is essential, this is not acceptable. If it was like pulling teeth to get answers during the on-boarding process, how would it be a month or two down the road? Perhaps, worst of all, was the response I received when I relayed my disappointment to the account manager. There was a complete lack of concern on his part; I was told that there are many long term, satisfied clients. While a resolution has not been reached, there has been absolutely no effort on his part to make things right.
Customer service is a part of most of our jobs to some degree, so how can we give each customer we interact with an exemplary experience? This is not only important, but paramount for a business’s survival, especially in the age of social media where everyone has a platform and a “voice”, and one negative review or poor word of mouth can do irreparable damage to a business’s reputation. It’s simple: go the extra mile to ensure that your customer always leaves every interaction with you satisfied. Usually that extra mile doesn’t require much, but it leaves a lasting impression. As we know, it’s so critically important to create those rabid fans who will be an ambassador for your business.
Whew. That was cathartic. Thanks for reading!
