The Rise and fall of Customer Service:

By: Marty Pickering

                It should come as no surprise to our readers, that in the recent recessionary period (past 12 months or so), that some giants of industry, finance, automotive and retail have been brought to their knees financially.  This decimation has taken large and small companies alike with little regard to whom it affected.  In this article, I will take a look at some customer service related issues which affected, “Our home” and see if it possibly made a difference?

                To start, in any competitive business there needs to be awesome, consumer based customer service, (this includes any type of business where you are selling something, a service etc).  Without it, many companies will have customers who depending on their overall experience, will come back (or) go to another company for future purchases.  Unfortunately, some companies out there just don’t seem to get this point, are doing little to ensure it is corrected (or) waited too long to change.

                Over the last 12 months I have seem large “Building Supply Companies” close many stores, large “Automotive Manufactures” close plants, close dealers and go to our countries lawmakers and beg for dollars.  Two of the companies (building supply and automotive) I had direct dealings with and can say I saw this coming (not financially, but just in the way they conducted day to day customer service).  I know many will say that hindsight is 20/20, “I knew this would happen after the fact.”  But, I discussed this very thing with many friends and family prior to it becoming a reality.  More importantly, I discussed the need for customer service with representatives from both companies personally.  I gave my opinion on customer service and what spelled disaster when companies forgot about taking care of those who paid for the services or products they sold.  I spoke to them about expectations consumers had about being treated fairly, not being over charged or taking the extra step to help customers in unique situations.

                Personal Case Study 1:  When I had a new shed put on my property a year or so ago, I went to a “Major” building supply company for the purchase.  In doing so, I felt I would have less hassle because they were well known, nationally dispersed and I assumed they would provide the best customer service.  Bad, bad assumption and I was disappointed to say the least when it came to the shed being assembled.  The subcontractor was late, did not have all the correct tools, his tools broke with no backup (I loaned him some of my tools to complete the work that day), and he needed to leave early to attend a birthday party (before he completed his work).  Ok, I am not completely unreasonable so I said, “Sure go ahead, I will see you in the morning to finish the work at 9 A.M. which he agreed to.  The next morning, 9 o’clock came and went; 10 o’clock came and went, so I began calling his cell to see what was going on.  Around 11 to 11:30 A.M. I finally got a return call saying he had planned on going fishing with his brother and father in-law’s?  At this point I was not pleased (as you might expect) and informed him that this was not the arrangement and he needed to get to my home and complete the work.  I reminded him about our agreement and he finally sighed and said he would be there in about an hour (with brother and father in-law’s) to help him complete the work.  Soon enough they arrived, fishing poles hanging out of the bed of his truck.  They completed the work and went on about the day.

                Not long after they left, I contacted customer service (at a local store) explaining what had taken place and expressed my displeasure with this subcontractor.  The response I got literally stunned me, I was told, “We have so many contractors we cannot keep track of them all”, and was told there was nothing they could do.  Ok, got it, I guess the only thing which can be done is to take my money some were else.

                This last spring I completed an outdoor remodel of our home, which included concrete work, new driveway, new stair rails, new pillars, new brickwork, siding, insulation, plantings, new front doors, windows, rear French doors etc.  To say it was a major renovation is an accurate statement and I can give you two guesses as to the company which was not even considered?  You would be right if you said it was the company who had too many contractors to worry about and could not even handle a simple shed installation. 

Oh, by the way did I mention I was also beginning a major remodel of the inside this year.  Kitchen gutted and redone with cabinets, flooring, appliances, electrical, plumbing, wooden stair rails, hardwood floors in upstairs, carpeting in all 3 upstairs bedrooms a master bathroom remodeled etc., not a small job to say the least.  Once again, I will give you two guesses as to which building supply company will not be considered.  You are correct if you say the one who had poor customer service causing my brand loyalty to waiver and end up elsewhere.  Unfortunately, this company lost out on my home projects, past, current and future, I am sure this decision will not make or break them financially, but collectively with all the other people who feel the same, (they will have to continue to close stores).

Personal Case Study 2:  The automotive industry has seen its fair share of poor decisions like any other, sometimes, “Getting too big for your own good is a bad thing.”  A feeling of invincibility may drive the poor customer service decisions many have witnessed and I would think that some of the more recent economic turns have caused some to rethink that mentality?

I have purchased many major brands over the years, domestic and import.  I have had mixed customer service through the years, but recently (past Two to Three years), I have seen many manufacturers take extra steps to ensure a positive customer experience because they want to maintain customer service relations.  Not only have the auto manufacturers had stiff competition for new car and truck sales, but face competition for service once purchased.  Anything from routine maintenance to major engine and transmission work, there are many who provide the services needed.  The dealerships no longer have a monopoly on these services and by every appearance have attempted to put on a new face in service relations.

The last truck I owned was from a domestic manufacturer, which required regular maintenance, some not so regular maintenance and a couple major fixes.  Overall, the services required were in line with past automobiles (domestic and import), so I cannot fault them for this.  I can however say that our local dealership always seemed to have a chip on their shoulder when I brought my car or truck into them for work.  They seemed (in my opinion), to be doing me a favor by working on them.  I must say that there was no problem with customer service when settling the bill and asking for payment.  I might not have this example if it were not for other dealerships (of the same manufacturer) that provided superior service on the same car and truck.  The difference was very noticeable and I soon found myself taking my car and truck outside the area for required maintenance, (sad but true).

When it was no longer feasible to take my car and truck somewhere else due to a change in location of employment, I gave the local dealer another chance because I was now pushed into them being the only one around without going completely out of my way.  It wasn’t long however until I found myself having the same problems to the point of writing a letter to the owner of the dealership expressing my concern for this lack of customer service and informing them of a decision (by me) to not only choose someone else for service, but my opinion was that they would not remain in business if things were not fixed.  I cited examples of what had been done at other dealers (making the overall experience better) and my decision to change brands altogether.

Since purchasing two vehicles last year (small car and an SUV), I have transitioned to two new manufacturers who have shown great customer service, went out of their way to ensure I was taken care of and stood by their work.  I must also say that it is no surprise that the manufacturer I left was on Capitol Hill begging for dollars not long ago and ended up filing for bankruptcy protection.  I cannot take full credit for this, but will say “I told them so.”

Personal Case Study 3:  As I mentioned in case study No.1, I am preparing for some major interior renovations this year.  Last year was outside, this year is inside.  Before beginning we (my wife and I) did some research on brands, recommended steps for remodeling, money saving tips etc., from a leading consumer reporting organization which has some great ideas about this process.

Although not rated the highest in its category I chose to start these renovations with a washer and dryer (one of the new front loading energy efficient kind).  Now, as I have mentioned before I am very brand loyal and if I find something even if it cost more, I am willing to pay if they have great customer service and I get an overall quality product.  I have shopped for a particular brand of appliance for many years and recommend it to everyone I talk to (until my last experience with them).  I discovered that only (One pedestal) was ordered, so I had to purchase a Second and it would have to be delivered and installed another day, not the same as scheduled before.  I was told, sorry about that, our mistake, have a great day.  Also after the initial purchase, I discovered that I was overcharged by about $246.00 (plus change), which  had to get credited back to me the day before my scheduled delivery, since I found this mistake and missing pedestal I was able to get corrected on the same return visit to the store.  Once again the salesman said, sorry about that you should be good now.  Our mistake, blah, blah, blah….

I bought a washer and drier from a big name company (good experience in the past, not a builder supply store but an appliance retail store), on sale due to, “Overstocking a particular color in the warehouses” (so they said).  Anyway, I ordered them, scheduled a delivery and was set (so I thought).  The day the washer and dryer arrived, the first words out of the deliveryman’s mouth were, “Did you get the washer and dryer hook ups from the store when you purchased these?”  I said, I had asked the salesman at the store if all the hardware for hookup was included, or did I need to purchase anything else?  I was told (as well as my wife), “No you don’t need anything, and it includes all the hardware required for instillation.”  So, the delivery people told me,” They were not sure if they would be able to hook everything up because I had not made these purchases”, at which point I called the store and they called customer service.  Ultimately they were able to use the extra’s which they carried in the truck (because it happens all the time explained the deliveryman). 

After everything was hooked up it was found that the dryer had a broken door latch (which should have been caught at the manufacturer) because it would in no way pass inspection if checked.  Anyway, customer service was called again and a pickup and exchange was ordered for Two days later, not what I wanted to hear.  I was told that it was due to the warehouse being out and they were waiting on a dryer from the manufacturer (different than the story I had about overstock and all the washers and dryers of that color being blown out of the warehouse).  Anyway, I had to get the pedestal to arrive the next day, and then the washer and dryer to be delivered and hooked up the day after that.  Overall, not a good experience and one which will probably cause me once again to change brands because of such a bad experience.

I felt so bad about the experience I returned to the store and spoke with the salesman about it, not irate, not to yell or complain, but to express my concern and relate past experiences and how that affects customer loyalty.  We discussed customer experiences and how they switched brands, manufacturers or retailers when they (customers) feel they have been let down.  In today’s day and age, with so much competition between manufacturers and retailers it is poor business and almost a guarantee of going out of business or declaring bankruptcy.  I had such brand loyalty, I thought they needed to hear it from me personally, not through a letter or telephone survey.

I provided possible solutions to the problems which came up during this whole transaction, not just complaints about problems.  I expressed recommendations for handling customer relations / customer service in the future because I am tired of seeing companies go out of business and jobs being lost over things which should have never happened, or been avoided though actual concern for customer service.  Although I told the sales rep I was not sure if my confidence in his company could ever be restored, I hoped that some good would come from our discussion for future customers and potential business for them.

My recommendation is this, when you are looking for big ticket items (cars, Trucks, Boats, ATV’s, Homes, Appliances, Repairs, Remodeling projects etc.), look at some of the past customer reviews which can be found through online or print media sources.  I recommend that you do some research on the manufacturers, retailers and installers.  Check references if possible and talk to people who currently own the kinds of products you are looking to purchase.  Word of mouth referrals are as big an influence as any kind of commercials or advertisements you will see.  Companies should take notice, increase customer service and ensure each customer is equally important.

I have a saying, “A company of mistakes will only last as long as its capitol holds out, and a company dedicated to excellence will be sought out and purchased time and time again.”  If you like they let them know to keep it up, pass the word and keep them in business.  If you don’t like the service or product, tell them and give possible solutions and if they listen great, if not pass the word and look for someone else to do business with.  The weak will perish and the strong will survive when customers’ needs are either met, or disregarded.

Marty Pickering