Tag Archives: Customer Service

From Mold to Gold

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This is not really about mold or gold, rather about doing the “right” thing and good customer service.  Nearly a month ago, I had picked up my daughter from basketball practice and stopped to get some fuel.  Knowing we were over due for the grocery store and that it would be a challenge to make a few school lunches for the following day, I ran into the mini-mart at the gas station to get two submarine sandwiches.  Ten minutes later, I was in my driveway with a car full of fuel and headed inside with lunches taken care of for two of my kids.

Recognizing that my son can’t eat cheese, I opened the sandwich wrapping so I could correctly identify the respective lunches.  That is when I spotted the mold on the bread.  It was really obvious and in the exact same location on each sandwich.  I fed a bit of the meat to my dogs and tossed the rest in the trash, but not before snapping a few pictures and searching the internet for contact information for the mini-mart company.

I found the link, typed my complaint and clicked submit.  Frustrated that I now had to make an immediate trip to the grocery store, I felt a sense of relief that I was quickly able to relay my issue to the company; however, I was skeptical that I would receive a response that would mitigate the inconvenience.  I should add that I did call the mini-mart and a nice lady directed me to return to the store and she would replace the sandwiches.  While a polite, albeit predictable response, if I was headed anywhere that night it was going to be to the grocery store to tackle our food needs for the week.

Fast forward to 10:15 the next morning when I received a call at work from the public relations manager of this mini-mart chain (well known in the Maryland area).  She was kind, appropriately and sincerely apologetic and offered to send gift cards that exceeded the value of the sandwiches in addition to some decent coupons toward future purchases.  I had a nice conversation with her and thanked her for her very timely handling of my complaint.  Several days later, I received the gift cards, coupons and a note.

I understand enough about the food industry to recognize that mold happens.  I believe in this case, the mold was a bit too obvious to have made it out the door with a customer but I get that this can happen.  It is a difficult business and everyone deserves a second chance and an opportunity to right a wrong.  I wasn’t about to write this mini-mart off my list with a plan never to return; but this PR manager did the “right” thing and that is a guarantee that her company will keep my family coming back.  That’s the gold!

 

No Oatmeal? That’s Not My Point, Actually

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Today was a lovely morning to meet a business acquaintance for coffee. At her suggestion, we agreed to meet at one of her favorite breakfast spots.  If my wife had walked into this establishment, she would have surely thought it “adorable”.  It was that sort of place.  It looked good and smelled amazing.  By the looks of the glass case, this was a carb-lovers paradise.  Fresh baked goods and breads were calling my name.  I hadn’t eaten a thing and already I was planning to return.  And then the lady behind the counter, who could not manage even the slightest smile, asked if she could help me.

I ordered an iced coffee and, adhering to my healthy food plan of late, asked if they offered oatmeal.  “No, we don’t” came the reply from the borderline unfriendly woman behind the counter.  It seemed like such a wholesome cafe’,  so I was slightly surprised that oatmeal was not on the menu.  Employees are trained to know what the cafe’ offers, so why would I doubt the response.  So they don’t have oatmeal.  I’ll eat my fiber bar on my way to the office.  Coffee will do just fine.

Oatmeal

And then another customer showed me the oatmeal.  About four Umpqua Oats (a rather upscale, gourmet instant oatmeal) flavors were lined up on a shelf, among a few other items.  The shelf was literally at my back and within easy view of the lady behind the counter.  There must have been 30 containers of oatmeal.  So I selected one and asked if the lady behind the counter could provide some hot water.  The lady behind the counter completed my transaction while another, kinder, employee took the oatmeal container from me, added hot water, stirred it, and returned it to me, ready to eat.

It was rather odd, actually.  That the lady behind the counter didn’t even know they had nearly 30 instant oatmeal containers within six feet of where she stood was a tad strange, it was even more bizarre that she never acknowledged that she had nearly sent me on my way with just a coffee.  I’m afraid for the owner of the cafe’ that this employee didn’t really care.  Someone needs some sales training or another job!

My friend and I sat with our coffees al fresco in amazingly comfortable, end of summer temperatures with unusually low humidity.  I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.  The upscale oatmeal, perhaps requiring an acquired taste, not so much.

by Brian Litofsky, CRO

Chief Recognition Officer, Crown Trophy

Customer Service – In Case We Get Disconnected…

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Even the best customer service can be overshadowed by lengthy hold times and difficult to navigate telephone menus.  Of course, if such obstacles are in the way, perhaps the word “best” can not be used regardless of how great the service is once a live person is reached.  At GoDaddy, whenever I have called for assistance or to make a purchase, one of the first questions I am asked is: “In case we get disconnected, what is a good number for us to reach you?”

This question is music to my ears.  I have called many companies, and I don’t mind mentioning a few, that did not ask this important question.  Verizon and Comcast come to mind the quickest as businesses I needed to call to get some form of help.  The phone menus were often confusing or lead to being connected with the wrong departments.  Having a call dropped meant the burden of getting reconnected fell on me as the customer service personnel would not take a call back number in the event we were disconnected.  It did seem odd that communication companies were rather poor in their supposed areas of expertise.

Once again, despite the advances in technology, simple telephone etiquette can either save the day or create an unnecessary blockade in the ability for customers to get questions answered.  And that is a disconnect!