How legitimate is your customer care?
There's a modern day tribe that roams the earth - a vocal, insistent, outspoken global tribe. Identifiable by their refusal to take things lying down, their numbers are growing exponentially.
These are your customers. They exist both inside and outside your organisation, feeling empowered and important - which they are.
If you give them attention and due respect, they will fly your banner, wear your colours and spread the good word. However, if they are ignored, disrespected, unfairly treated or otherwise inconvenienced, they will take to their global network and name-and-shame you with vengeance.
Simply put: beware - the days of monolithic power and Might is Right are almost over.
It's more important than ever to pay attention to the customer, follow-up on complaints, be available and courteous and put out fires before they spread. And forget about dumping all the responsibility on the Call Center - especially if it's one where staff have to follow a script and are unable to respond in ways they feel appropriate. Every person from the CEO to the Security Guard is part of your customer experience and it's in your best interests to get it right. And, when you don't (which is probably inevitable), deal with it - with respect, good manners and graciousness.
South Africa debated with delight when the cellular network company, Cell C, infuriated a customer to such an extent that he put up a public billboard using their logo to advertise bad service (see Twitter #cellCbanner). Unfortunately it didn't end there. With good old-fashioned arrogance, Cell C ignored the basic rule of customer care: the customer is always right, and instead of finding a way to make amends they took him to court. Oh dear.
Even more unfortunately, the judge (and public) agreed with the customer and stated that a brand belongs in part to the customers that create it. People took to the airwaves to criticize Cell C and add their service complaints to the story. After defacing the billboard and losing the case to have the billboard removed, Cell C then asked the city council to remove the board. The debacle continues.
The really sad thing is that nobody from Cell C apologised sincerely, or tried to find a way to make things right and this made them seem very, very wrong. Fortunately for us, they have given us a magnificent Customer Care case study and we can all learn the humbling lesson of How Not To Do It.
For example: on national radio the customer's secretary said:
"We tried every which way to get hold of somebody, anybody, to speak to at Cell C - to explain to Cell C what the problem was, and we were stonewalled all the way. We could never get through to anybody senior; we eventually got one e-mail address but they block all the other e-mails and when we couldn't get any further my boss sat me down and said: "'this is what they do to every little man out there, I've got money! On behalf of everybody, watch me. I'm gonna put up a board and then we’ll see what they do'."
These are sentiments that many can identify with. Few people can say they have not experienced the incredible frustration of trying to be heard by a company (especially after the contract has been signed!) Radio listeners were on his side - he became the Robin Hood of Customer Service. So, what did the Cell C representative say on the same radio programme?
"As a brand - you don't use my branding, Cell C branding, to put that message that you put out there. For that alone I will sue you!"
Hmm - a call to war, and not just with the customer, because by now the whole tribe was involved!
If this story belonged only to Cell C and Robin Client, it would be interesting, but the fact is that this has been a very standard way for large organisations to deal with customers. Customers had become so immune they used to just roll over and sigh: "well, what can you do?" Not any more. Frustrated customers are waking up, joining the online tribe and refusing to be invisible anymore. So what can you do?
An effective customer care approach must be part of the whole company culture. No-one can be considered 'too important' to deal with a customer when the need arises. Encouraging a diversity of opinions and ideas in public communications forums will build trust and a sense of camaraderie, organisations must encourage a sense of genuine communication. Most importantly, when a customer complains, deal with it immediately! Nip dissatisfaction in the bud, honour the relationship and think long term. (One can almost imagine the overworked manager at Cell C trying to avoid the difficult client, hoping he would just go away, telling himself he didn't have time for such trivia...)
The customer is not always right, but with care and a skilled approach, there is almost always a way to manage difficulties with grace and mutual satisfaction. This blog must end with thanks to Cell C for the lesson and acknowledgment that they probably do it right most of the time.
And, to show you that they are not the only inaccessible monoliths frustrating their customers, here are a few snippets about their competitors, taken from their facebook pages today during a one hour period.
Dear xxx. I have been soft-locked, but the xxx call centre is now shut. Apparently. I have tweeted asking for help. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. And I've called xxx Consumer. And Business. And been dropped both times into call-centre hell. I have yet to speak to a human being who can assist me. What the hell is going on here!? — feeling annoyed
Are your 'friendly consultants' on strike? I have been waiting on the line for 68 minutes, and counting!!
They make an error and refuse to be honorable. Bah humbug xxx
INEFFICIENT, INEFFECTIVE AND DISHONEST
xxx call centre phoned me on Monday 24 November. Said would contact network department and get back in 24 hours. I'm still waiting and I am not holding my breath .I think that they think that I have an IQ of a two year old. They are only pretending to deal with my network problem. Just refund me for the last 3 month, I will return the phone and you can cancel my contract. That way you can end the farce and you can stop wasting your and my time and can also effectively stop stealing from me by charging me for a service that I don't have.
I have NEVER been more disgusted by a company as I am today. You have STOLEN money from my account for a contract that I did NOT authorise. The money for the last 2 months needs to be refunded by the end of the day. This will be the last time I ever take out a contract with xxx - this is the 3rd and FINAL mistake that you have made with me. Congratulations - you just lost a customer of 10 years. WORST COMPANY EVER!!!
Would like to know how Many people have experienced the problem with xxx (Most Treacherous Network) , where airtime just "disappears" and consultants are not able to clear this up? I registered several complaints in this regard but xxx just does not follow up. And times when this happens then strangely one is not able to get through to the help line.
Can someone from the after sales department PLEASE phone me?? I have been trying to get through to you all day. Holding the line 45 minutes at a time, just to get hung up on!! It is urgent!!!
Unfortunately these snippets show that the tribe is rowdy and Customer Service most certainly does not necessarily create an experience of Customer Care.