Customer service example: a tip on how NOT to do it

Soloists who dazzle their customers from the outset are likely to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. In this customer service example I ended up on the receiving end of an IT service provider having 'one of those days.'

I made an appointment to get a quote from an IT company on setting up a new office. We agreed on 3pm on-site one day the following week. Excellent! I had shortlisted some likely suspects and emailed and telephoned three companies to see if there was ‘a fit’.

This is a lot more work than I usually do to procure a service or buy a product. I’m a see the house one day, buy it the next kind of girl.

But IT is serious.

Having reliable equipment connections and virtual back-up is to business what breathing is to bodies.

And it’s expensive, temperamental and the people you pay to help you with it speak another language.

Talk of setting up a new network and decisions between wireless and wired causes me as much stress as choosing the right outfit to make just the right impression.

Anyway, my research suggested that I had found ‘the one’ and I anticipated our meeting like the first date it was.

I also very neatly set up my day’s appointments around that 3 o’clock commitment and scheduled half an hour for my first tryst with the IT guy.

At 3.10 he was not here. So I called to make sure there wasn’t a problem.

His boss told me he had been ‘meaning’ to call me for 15 minutes but had been too busy, but my guy was well on his way. ‘Be there soon’.

And he was 15 minutes later at 3.25, five minutes before I was scheduled to leave.

He scowled at me when I said he had five minutes only, as I had to go. Couldn’t believe it! I explained that he did have 30 minutes for his ‘everything’s going to be wonderful’ seduction but he had spend most of it getting here.

Another grimace. (The sort that suggested it was all my fault).

I was so-o-o-o-o-o disappointed. I had made up my mind; wasn’t even going to get another quote. Just get them out, see what they thought, and get on with it. They were ‘the one’.

Most first dates which start poorly end poorly, and alas this was one of them.

This was obvious to my guy’s boss so he called the next day to apologise and ask for a second date.

I’m a sucker for a good line well delivered so was happy to be apologised to.

But the apology was followed by an explanation that as a ‘service business’ they couldn’t always get to their appointments on time.

I said that’s fine (although I run a service business and we run on-time) so don’t make on the hour appointments. If they’d said they’d see me between 3 and 3.30 that would be great and I would have organised my day from there.

But they didn’t.

Now I’m in the market for a new IT company. Again. And drained from the emotional energy I put in the thinking I had found ‘the one’.

If you are a soloist who runs a business that provides a service to people, meet your commitments to them.

It’s so simple. The green light on a first date could lead to who knows what?

Karen Morath of M Power consults, trains, speaks and coaches in public relations, personal effectiveness, life balance and all things empowering.

11 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

I have had the same experience and yet the people at the other end don't appear to think it is bad customer service.
Are we demanding too much from these simple folk who are running a business??? Bill Walter from Thornlie WA 6109
Karren - You nailed it.
Timing and punctuality is SO important, it can't be underestimated.
I find if I don't follow up on a lead in the first 15 mins, it's basically as good as lost.
If you are late for an appointment, and don't do everything reasonable to let the client know - they are as good as lost also. Especially if they are a business customer that has other deadlines.
One of my favourite quotes: "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression."
Being late for a first appointment with a customer is just crazy.
Thanks for a great article.
Adam Douglas from Kilsyth
Last year I renovated the house while working from home (next time, I take a holiday out of country). I had thirty seven different trades and service people working on the job over six weeks. It was tight, but we managed by giving people time blocks with about an extra half day fudge. I didn't care when they started, as long as they were finished by the end of their time block. Only the carpet guy had a problem, which only mattered because I had booked a holiday for the end of the process. But of course, it was my problem for being so unreasonable. At least I got accolades from the other thirty six guys for being so considerate and understanding about time management. Denise from Kumeu
It is very annoying being "stood up". Once I asked three "local firms" (Buy local and keep the money in town, you know the plug!) to provide quotes for a $200,000 computer purchase and told them a date by which they had to arrive. (I had a deadline for government funding). None came in on time so I phoned a firm in nearby Brisbane and got a quote within minutes and they got the job. One of the three late quoters would have picked up a $200k purchase. It can be that important to be on time. Robin from Alice Springs
I run an IT support business mostly targetting other small businesses and I totally agree with the whole stereotype that a lot of IT support businesses seem to think they can treat their customers how ever they want.
My own business relies on other IT businesses doing exactly this kind of thing, and then I get to pick up the business afterwards, after I demonstrate a better commitment to customer service.
I must point out that it is rather hard for even us old hands to determine how long an appointmet of job will take, but my own business has strategies to deal with this situation.
We usually provide appointment times by saying we will be there somewhere between 3pm to 4pm for example, if that is convienient. If they need a firm time, then we organise and appointment, where we will not have other jobs booked in around it. In addition, I allow time in between jobs, just so if a job goes overtime, I don't have a problem.
I have occasionally cancelled or moved appointments, but have explained to the customer that I have a critical problem at another customer's business, and that I look after my current customers, before I worry about making new ones. This seems to do the trick for me, and a lot of my new customers are impressed with this kind of attitude. An IT business has to keep in mind that to make money they have to enable their customers to make money with minimal fuss. Colin from Perth
I work in the real estate industry, selling lifestyle real estate in Kumeu and find that many buyers complain about real estate salespeople never getting back to them!
I find this amazing - because you cant have a successful sale without an appropriate buyer! Prioritise and keep in touch - hard to do but well worth it...Buyers also turn into sellers... Cathy from Kumeu

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