and a rare thing is customer care
Dear Reader (s)
I am about to charge about on my usual hobby-horse: a fine beast called CUSTOMER CARE. Needs looking after, it needs feeding. Then it will gallop around and spread the good news of fantastic service and quality. Neigh indeed why not?
Well I mean honestly! In my ideal Easter world, I would be hoovering/dysoning my new 80% wool carpets in a fetching shade of Almond (this is basically beige frankly) and rejoicing that, after SEVEN years, the renovation of my house was now complete. Hosanna and Alleluias. Hurrah. Happy days.
And yet I am not in an ideal home. I am still stubbing my toes on bare bedroom floorboards and wanting to cry into my Miele. (Don’t think I haven’t stocked up on vacuuming devices for the great day)
In the bleak mid winter, to cheer myself up, give me hope etc I went into OutofTown Carpet stores and chose some carpet -yellow – and arranged for someone to come round to measure and quote for carpet and fitting. They did indeed turn up, they took away the sample of carpet (£10 and please phone store for refund). I asked them to put their quote in writing and dear reader I am waiting still. Eventually, I rallied and went back to the store and asked for my £10 deposit back. The store did ask if I wanted to place the order and verbally gave me a price (again). “I don’t deal with illiterate companies,” I said and sailed out clutching my tenner. Actually, I didn’t say that – but very much wish I had. Later reading some customer reviews a constant complaint was that this store didn’t write down quotes which made querying colour, price, quality and fitting very difficult when the wrong item turned up on the day.
Another month and hope springs eternal. I had probably gone about this the wrong way. I had been a bad girl and had approached wicked out-of-town suppliers when what I should have done is approach my local village carpet supplier who may charge more, but would be reliable, honest and sound people.
So I went into local carpet shop and lo, he turned up to quote, bringing with him a veritable pile of carpet samples – none of which he wanted to charge for. He did step through my tiny two up, two down semi and immediately regale me with tales of mansions that he had fitted, but you know, there was no sign of his door saying POSH people only. He quoted me a very good price and also said he would hold the old VAT rate. He put this fab offer in writing. I was sold. I rushed to the shop and paid HALF up front and arranged installation date. Whilst waiting, I enthused about the deal, the carpet, the supplier. I was a happy potential Easter Bunny.
And then, the phone calls. So sorry – supplier can’t make that delivery date. I got the message late and as I was working from home the next day, I called in rather than phoned. The owner was nattering to his fitter (surely he should have been out somewhere fitting). He barely looked up. “Madge knows about this,” he told me. “She will be back tomorrow.” I gave him a hard stare. I had booked off the day for carpet delivery and as I am self-employed this was costing me money. The shop had no plans to install carpets over weekends, on the grounds, I presume that their female customers are ladies that lunch and can arrange their week for the shop’s convenience.
I phoned Madge, we arranged another date. That too was cancelled and another time arranged. I was on holiday when I had a further phone call to say this time the supplier wasn’t able to manufacture that colour “at the moment.” I struggled, the colour was beige. What is so difficult about beige? The shop suggested I choose another carpet but I had begun to smell a rat – if not two.
I called into the shop again. This time they got my name wrong and let slip that they had let down this customer as well. The rats were reeking. Either, I thought, they misquoted and it’s not possible to deliver at the quoted price, or they had not paid their suppliers and were not getting deliveries at all. Either way I wanted my substantial deposit back. To fair I got this without any quibble.
But afterwards, I wondered why both outfits had turned a willing, eager purchaser into a lost sale. Did it all get so easy in the boom times, that customers were utterly taken for granted? When retailers blame the recession for their fall in profits are we right to believe them. Is careless customer service the real enemy within?
- Courteous, Competent Computer Care
