I’m the kind of person that usually tries to see the good even in dire times. I guess I’m one of those “glass half full” people that tend to annoy the “half empty” crowd. So what could be good about an economy that has an unemployment rate of 8.1%? Here’s my silver lining in a cloud of uncertainty and despair- customer service. Has anyone else noticed a difference lately in the way customer service reps talk to you; or how about their patience and willingness and flexibility? I’ve noticed it lately from hotel clerks,restaurant waitresses, automotive shops, and just recently, wireless service reps. Here’s the latest example.
Monday I destroyed my new Blackberry Storm while helping my father load some materials into the trunk of his car. Without really thinking about it, I must have laid it right on the back of his car where the trunk comes down. Anyway, he didn’t see it and slammed the trunk down after we were finished. That ended the short life of my phone. The screen was completely smashed. No display at all so I couldn’t call out since it has touch screen dialing. I immediately used my wife’s phone to dial Verizon and explain what happened.
I was expecting the whole time to be hit with a replacement charge and shipping fee on top of that.What I got was a complete surprise. At the end of explaining my situation and importance of getting a new replacement phone as quick as possible, the Verizon representative said “Not a Problem Mr. Taylor, we’ll have a replacement FedExed overnight today.” I responded, ” What will the charge be on that?” Her response, “No Charge Mr. Taylor.” My surprised reply, “No Charge?” “That’s right, no charge. Is there anything else I can help you with Mr. Taylor.”
So as bad as things look right now, think about what’s happening with companies and their customer service departments. Slow times like this, are making businesses all across the country truly appreciate their customers again. Because without them, they might be the next ones in line looking for a bailout.
