Last week I told you that the issues with our OfficeLive account were finally resolved. I actually got a call from a technician and got a general explanation of what went wrong. (see the details here). I thought to myself that the folks in Redmond were starting to grasp the importance of happy customers. There were a couple of things that we wanted to resolve - duplicate entries (LOTS of duplicate entries) in the "synchronized" contact info, and the inability to create new documents in our Workspaces. So I figured I'd get with the support folks once I got caught up from all the time I wasted trying to get them to resolve the main problem.
This morning I got a call from a girl who seemed to have a very tenuous grasp of the English language. She had extreme difficulty reading the script (and even more trouble with my name), but she finally managed to tell me she was welcoming me to OfficeLive and wanted to know if I had any questions or needed any help. So I mentioned my problems. She puts me on hold for a couple of minutes and then comes back to tell me that OfficeLive doesn't support these features. She tells me I need to go to the microsoft.com site for help/
Excuse me? Isn't OfficeLive all about synchronizing contacts and sharing documents? And shouldn't the person calling me to welcome me be a little more familiar with the product?
Maybe I just need to lower my expectations when it comes to customer service. I heard a quote today that perhaps the non-existant Customer Service Manager for OfficeLive could take to heart: If I can't do great things, let me do small things in a great way. They did such a poor job in a big way when this thing tanked last week. I would have hoped a simple welcome call would be handled a little more professionally.
So who has some great sories about support successes? I'd like to see if we can turn this tide around and tell some happy stories. After all, we want to do business with people who get it. Don't we?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Chip of Gold
I've been having some real issues with customer service (or lack thereof) at Microsoft all week. Major problems. I haven't been able to access my OfficeLive account - or any account that requires me to log in with my Windows Live password. No one seems to be able to tell me why. And the response I'm getting from the support team has been largely "just relax and quit calling us - we'll get back to you at some point." Most of the people I've spoken to even tell me that there's no one I can even call or write to if I want to complain! That's just so wrong.
There's a local guy, Brad Worthley, that gives great seminars on customer service. He's a sharp guy who could really inspire this group to make customers happy, not angry and posting angry blogs. I was really hoping I could talk to a manager when I called yesterday. But then a funnt thing happened: I talked to someone who got it!
I called for my daily update and gripe and got a young woman named Carrie. I explained my problem for the umpteenth time and she said "I can help you with that!" I just about fell out of my chair! Brad would have been so proud! That was the first time in probably a dozen calls to this group that someone has said "I can" without the word NOT behind it. I just wish I could tell her manager how refreshing that was. Of course, that might get her fired. And, like Derek tols me, there is no manager to talk to.
Best of all,she did get me logged in! Something no one else has been able to do since I got locked out this past Sunday. Unfortunately this didn't last. I was locked out again this morning. And my call to tech support got me the usual response: "I can't help you with that - you'll need to wait to hear from our escalation department." tick tick tick
Microsoft - you need another Carrie!
There's a local guy, Brad Worthley, that gives great seminars on customer service. He's a sharp guy who could really inspire this group to make customers happy, not angry and posting angry blogs. I was really hoping I could talk to a manager when I called yesterday. But then a funnt thing happened: I talked to someone who got it!
I called for my daily update and gripe and got a young woman named Carrie. I explained my problem for the umpteenth time and she said "I can help you with that!" I just about fell out of my chair! Brad would have been so proud! That was the first time in probably a dozen calls to this group that someone has said "I can" without the word NOT behind it. I just wish I could tell her manager how refreshing that was. Of course, that might get her fired. And, like Derek tols me, there is no manager to talk to.
Best of all,she did get me logged in! Something no one else has been able to do since I got locked out this past Sunday. Unfortunately this didn't last. I was locked out again this morning. And my call to tech support got me the usual response: "I can't help you with that - you'll need to wait to hear from our escalation department." tick tick tick
Microsoft - you need another Carrie!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Screwed by the Economy
Here's a true story that illustrates how today's financial climate can affect any small business. Even yours.
A business owner I know owes his primary vendor about $3,000. He wants to stay on good terms with this vendor, but cash is tight. He's got receivables over $6,000, but people are slow to pay. So he makes use of one of those nasty little checks your credit card company sends you from time to time. You know the ones - high interest, last of the balance to get paid off. He writes the check knowing he can pay it off as soon as he collects on his outstanding A/R.
Fast forward two weeks. A letter arrives from American Express saying the check he wrote his vendor was not honored. Not because he didn't have the available credit. Not because his payment history was poor. Not even because of a bad credit score. No, it was not honored because "other customers making similar purchases have a poor repayment history." The business owner quickly contacts his vendor and writes a personal check to cover the one AMEX chose not to honor. But the damage is done.
The vendor has now blacklisted the business owner for writing a bad check. Not only that, the vendor assessed a bad check charge. The vendor also bounced a couple of checks to their suppliers and an employee's paycheck bounced. So now the vendor has issues with suppliers and additional costs incurred for the bounced checks. The vendor's employee bounces checks and perhaps is one of the folks on the original business man's list of people who don't seem to be paying in a timeley manner.
And the cycle continues. I just want to know when the government is going to contact me about buying MY bad debt. What do you think?
And the cycle continues. I just want to know when the government is going to contact me about buying MY bad debt. What do you think?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Is It Geek to You
I read a great article on Biznik (my favorite social networking site for business) where the auhtor talks about how to talk to techies. While we try to hire folks who can translate techie to normal speak, this might come in handy...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hot New Networking Ideas!
First, let me tell about a new online networking site I found. It's called Biznik. I've got dozens (or more) contacts in Linkedin and Pulse. But this one is different. It's a true business networking site. Meet new people, trade referrals, post articles and promotions. You can even use tags to up your search engine ratings. There's so much to see that I can't really do it justice here. You can join for free and get cool stuff. There are also two higher levels of membership you can try. But don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself!
Now let me tell you about one of the great ideas one of the women that's in my network came up with. It's called Pay It Forward. Several of us are going to meet for lunch at a restaurant. We're going to pick a table of unsuspecting folks and buy their lunch. They'll get an envelope with our business cards and a note telling their lunch has been paid for by us and all we ask is that they look at the cards and see if they - or anyone they know - can use our services. If so please contact us. Brilliant! Even if we don't get any direct business, the recipients will have a better day. And they will remember us. Find out more about Lisa's wonderful plan!
Now let me tell you about one of the great ideas one of the women that's in my network came up with. It's called Pay It Forward. Several of us are going to meet for lunch at a restaurant. We're going to pick a table of unsuspecting folks and buy their lunch. They'll get an envelope with our business cards and a note telling their lunch has been paid for by us and all we ask is that they look at the cards and see if they - or anyone they know - can use our services. If so please contact us. Brilliant! Even if we don't get any direct business, the recipients will have a better day. And they will remember us. Find out more about Lisa's wonderful plan!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Customer "Dis" Service
It was the last straw for me - literally. I don't know if you've noticed, but McDonald's has started wrapping their straws a lot tighter than they used to. Used to be you could just give the wrapper a quick tug and it would release the straw ready to go and leave you with two big hunks of paper you could easily toss in the trash. But the other day the paper was so tightly wrapped around the straw that I actually had to pull over and peel it off in little pieces that are now all over my car.
I'm sure someone somewhere in McDonald's land figured saving a fraction of an inch on the paper wrappers on the millions of straws given out would save a few bucks, and this person probably got a certificate or something for being so thrifty. But as a customer I was ticked off. It made my life just a little more difficult. And that got me thinking - and paying more attention. I went back through the MickeyD's drive through yesterday and noticed a couple of signs. The first said "no cell phone calls while in line." The next said "have your cash out and ready for the cashier." Neither of these are there to help make my experience better. These "rules" are there to make sure they can pump out as many burgers as possible.
If you think about it, more and more businesses seem to be focusing on how we the customer can make it easier for them to sell product to us. Centralized checkout stations with long lines; self-service soda fountains and whatnot, telephone and Web queues that make it virtually impossible to talk to a live person without jumping through a bunch of hoops, etc.
The pinnacle of this idiocy came last week when I went to a popular online retailer to purchase a couple of laptops. There was a great special advertised, so I ordered two. The next day I get an email saying I was only allowed to order one, so one had been removed from my order. My blood pressure went up a bit, but I found a good deal on a different laptop and moved ahead with the order. It was really easy to order - I had entered mt credit card and address information on the previous order, so I just clicked a box saying "use my existing info." Cool!
The next day I opened my email and found a message from this retailer stating there was a problem with my address. Huh? My first order was already halfway here. I called their Customer Service number (which was answered on the third ring by a live person - I thought this was a good sign). I told the person about the email and figured she could fix it right there on the phone. Here's the shocker: she said there was nothing she could do. Said I'd have to call American Express and add my shipping address to the card. I told her about the previous order, but she didn't think it was odd that they'd just shipped an order to the same address with the same card just two days before. She insisted I'd have to call AMEX and, once the change took effect in a few days, resubmit my order. She did think it was odd when I canceled my order on the spot. But I did get the free laptop bags that came with canceled orders. How odd. And I found a laptop elsewhere that was better and cost less - and it arrived on the same day as the first one I ordered.
My point is this: as consumers we have to do whatever we can to remind businesses big and small that they exist because of us. Anything that makes it harder to do business with them will (hopefully) inspire us to look elsewhere for products and services. I for one prefer to spend money with businesses that seem to be glad I'm there ratehr than an annoyance that gets in they way of their process and procedure.
As business owners we have to have empathy for our customers. I'd love to see the CEO of Verizon try to find out what a charge is on his bill.
Process and procedure are important for sure, but not nearly as important as our customers' experience when they do business with us.
I'm sure someone somewhere in McDonald's land figured saving a fraction of an inch on the paper wrappers on the millions of straws given out would save a few bucks, and this person probably got a certificate or something for being so thrifty. But as a customer I was ticked off. It made my life just a little more difficult. And that got me thinking - and paying more attention. I went back through the MickeyD's drive through yesterday and noticed a couple of signs. The first said "no cell phone calls while in line." The next said "have your cash out and ready for the cashier." Neither of these are there to help make my experience better. These "rules" are there to make sure they can pump out as many burgers as possible.
If you think about it, more and more businesses seem to be focusing on how we the customer can make it easier for them to sell product to us. Centralized checkout stations with long lines; self-service soda fountains and whatnot, telephone and Web queues that make it virtually impossible to talk to a live person without jumping through a bunch of hoops, etc.
The pinnacle of this idiocy came last week when I went to a popular online retailer to purchase a couple of laptops. There was a great special advertised, so I ordered two. The next day I get an email saying I was only allowed to order one, so one had been removed from my order. My blood pressure went up a bit, but I found a good deal on a different laptop and moved ahead with the order. It was really easy to order - I had entered mt credit card and address information on the previous order, so I just clicked a box saying "use my existing info." Cool!
The next day I opened my email and found a message from this retailer stating there was a problem with my address. Huh? My first order was already halfway here. I called their Customer Service number (which was answered on the third ring by a live person - I thought this was a good sign). I told the person about the email and figured she could fix it right there on the phone. Here's the shocker: she said there was nothing she could do. Said I'd have to call American Express and add my shipping address to the card. I told her about the previous order, but she didn't think it was odd that they'd just shipped an order to the same address with the same card just two days before. She insisted I'd have to call AMEX and, once the change took effect in a few days, resubmit my order. She did think it was odd when I canceled my order on the spot. But I did get the free laptop bags that came with canceled orders. How odd. And I found a laptop elsewhere that was better and cost less - and it arrived on the same day as the first one I ordered.
My point is this: as consumers we have to do whatever we can to remind businesses big and small that they exist because of us. Anything that makes it harder to do business with them will (hopefully) inspire us to look elsewhere for products and services. I for one prefer to spend money with businesses that seem to be glad I'm there ratehr than an annoyance that gets in they way of their process and procedure.
As business owners we have to have empathy for our customers. I'd love to see the CEO of Verizon try to find out what a charge is on his bill.
Process and procedure are important for sure, but not nearly as important as our customers' experience when they do business with us.
Monday, January 28, 2008
When Everyone is Gone
The week of January 7th 2008 is one that I won't soon forget. It was the week that I had arthroscopic surgery on my knee. That kept me out most of the week. But that wasn't was so bad. What was really bad is that both of my technicians - my revenue producers - had surgery too. What are the odds?
My office manager was not very happy that all three people capable of handling service calls were either in the hospital or recovering at home. Luckily I know a guy who is doing the same thing we are, is good at what he does, and trustworthy to boot. So he was able to cover for us. But it's not likely we'll be on the plus side of that equation once the invoices are settled. But the customers were covered and my office manager was able to keep from pulling her hair out for the most part.
So what would you do if most - or all - of your work force were out of the office? Whether is was illness, natural disaster or even a strike, you could be down for days. Does your business have a plan to deal with a situation like this? Believe me, I'm thinking hard on this one.
My office manager was not very happy that all three people capable of handling service calls were either in the hospital or recovering at home. Luckily I know a guy who is doing the same thing we are, is good at what he does, and trustworthy to boot. So he was able to cover for us. But it's not likely we'll be on the plus side of that equation once the invoices are settled. But the customers were covered and my office manager was able to keep from pulling her hair out for the most part.
So what would you do if most - or all - of your work force were out of the office? Whether is was illness, natural disaster or even a strike, you could be down for days. Does your business have a plan to deal with a situation like this? Believe me, I'm thinking hard on this one.
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