I am having some issues with my DSL Internet connectivity and contacted the provider to help resolve it. It would drop intermittently three or four times a day, and I had to reboot my modem to re-establish a connection. The technician came and said she can’t find a problem, but the issue might be related to the modem, which was very old, and I should have it replaced with a new one. She filled out her card and was gone. I got a call a few minutes after from the dispatcher’s office and told them what the technician said that the problem was. She said that’s what the technician had reported and that I should call the support line to request a modem. I asked why couldn’t they just do that, and she said that they couldn’t and that I have to make the call.
This incident reminded me of something similar that I witnessed during the Christmas season when I was shopping for some presents for my children in a toy store. While browsing I overheard a customer asking two sales clerks to see an item on one of the higher shelves. One of the clerks told the customer, “I’m not seeing any of the fellas around. Check the other aisle to see if you see any of the boys and ask them to get it for you.” The customer then said, “You want me to find the boy?” and the clerk said yes. The customer said thanks and promptly left the store. The sales clerks started the laugh and one said, “Well that’s her loss!”
The above two examples show a failure of where a small step wouldn’t have caused major satisfaction, but not taking that step caused major dissatisfaction. In fact in the second example the store lost a possible sale, and worst, the clerks thought that it was the customer who lost. No! It was the store that lost, and perhaps your jobs might be next.
We might look at these examples and relate to it, but how many times within our own businesses we are guilty of these same missteps? We don’t follow up with the customer. We don’t deliver when we say we will deliver. We don’t pass a simple message on to someone when asked to. Even when providing service to our own co-workers.
We must all be cognizant that we are in the business of providing service and must do so to the best and greatest of our ability. And sometimes doing the best and greatest is simply to take that one step that others wouldn’t.
