Just a few words on good service. During today’s power outage, I called our phone carrier to forward calls to our main number to a cell phone. Because of a similar power outage two weeks ago, I knew the routine and expected the forwarding to happen quickly. Boy was I wrong! After a brief wait in the queue, a service rep came on. Here are the basics of the conversation:
Rep: “I understand you are having a problem. Can you describe what is going on?”
Me: “Yes. Our power is out so we cannot use our phones. I would like to forward our line to my cell phone so I can continue to take calls.”
Rep: “Well if the outage is not related to our lines or equipment we might not be able to help you.”
Me: ” We had the same situation two weeks ago and the reps I spoke to then were happy to help me forward the phones.”
Rep: “Well, I don’t know if I would be happy to help you or not, but I have to listen to your situation because it is part of my job.”
I was flabbergasted, told her I did not think we would be able to work together on the issue and ended the call. I immediately called back, waited briefly, and found that the next rep was able to forward our calls within 60 seconds. Now THAT is the service I expected!
So my lesson today is that we always need to treat every call as an opportunity to make an impression – good or bad – whether dealing with a long-term client or a new business prospect. Be “on” at all times, treat people with respect, and remember that the person on the other end of the phone needs respectful, considerate assistance.
