Typical non-interaction.
I check in at a very busy doctor’s office. The receptionist hands me some forms, says “Fill these out.’’ I say “sure,’’ and “thank you.’’ She says nothing.
I call three health insurance companies to ask about different plans. All the people I speak with are brisk. They sound annoyed. I apologize to them. I say, “Sorry to bother you. Sorry I’m such a pain. Sorry, sorry, sorry.’’
I call a fourth. The woman from Tufts Health Plan is different, courteous and helpful. I write down her name, Katrina Clark, and promise to call her when it’s time for me to choose a plan.
Good service is so rare that you do this. You take note.
My daughter and I walked into a restaurant last week. The greeter was on the phone. She didn’t look up at us. She didn’t acknowledge that we were standing there. She was on the phone for a good five minutes and when she hung up, there was no “sorry that took so long!’’ No “sorry for keeping you waiting.’’ Just a terse “follow me.’’ And we followed.
Nearly 20 years ago, Ken Blanchard wrote a book called “Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service,’’ which, though it was popular, apparently not enough people in the service industries read. Because, today, it’s standard behavior for employees to chew gum, text, talk to co-workers, and only eventually, and then reluctantly, serve the customer.
The book’s message was that this is not the way to run a business. Employees need to be polite and approachable and informed and respectful, not only so that customers will come back, but also so that these customers will become “raving fans’’ who talk about what great customer service they had.
In the spirt of that book, I confess I am a raving fan of all things Apple. I love my computer. I love my iPhone. But I love the people at Apple best. They are the reason I bought my computer and phone. And here’s why:
The ones I’ve encountered are what all employees who work with the public should be - helpful and polite. They explain.
They do not sigh in exasperation or frustration when you don’t understand something. They never ignore you. They never condescend.
I go to the Apple store in Braintree, but I suspect that all Apple stores employ people who excel not just at what they do but at pleasing the customer, too. For $100 a year, Apple offers a program called One to One, through which you get all the lessons you can squeeze into your life, lessons not just in how to use your computer but in movie making and music making and digital photography.
A few months ago, I had to call customer support at a different company because my external hard drive (which was less than a year old) was suddenly making a grinding sound. Before the customer service person would even talk to me, I had to pay $38 for a 10-minute consultation.
Just last week, I asked a clerk in a retail store if he carried DVD RDLs. He shrugged and said he didn’t know, then pointed and added, “If we have them, they’d be over there.’’
Bad service is everywhere, which makes good service definitely something worth raving about.
