Customer Service
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Have read some cool books on customer service mostly to help with the Travel Business. So today I had an opposite experience. For our office move we bought phones that were priced at more than we were quoted so naturally we haven't paid the bill yet. Now the phone store isn't really at fault because our 3rd party phone guy was the one that gave us the cheap quote.
So they called today looking for their money and rightfully so. So I'm trying to explain our situation and she blasts me because we are using the phones, so they work, so we owe....technically she's right and I'm at fault. So I'm trying to non- challantlly coax her into the old adage "the customer is always right" even though we are clearly wrong. She's not buying it...
I say we are pissed off because we were told one thing and then quoted another...and that we are not paying until we return these expensive phones for cheaper ones. I have her attention now....I continue with... this is totally not your company's fault it is third party guy's but can you atleast now acknowledge our situation.I can clearly see where you are coming from can you see where I'm coming from?
And then she takes a 180 and starts quoting me on cheaper phones that we can exchange for the old ones at prices closer to the price we were quoted by the 3rd party phone guy. She saw that buddy mishandled us and she was now in a postion to help rather than banter. She asked for us to pay half the bill in good faith. In fact by the end of the call which began as a credit call, she was saying don't worry, call me at the beginning of next week and we'll sort you out with some new phones.
Lesson learned: People will respond favourably to you if you tell them they are right first and then you explain your situation. I think this is actually from that book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which I haven't read but browsed through at Chapters yesterday.
All I actually had to say is I completely understand where your coming from and it's totally not your fault and we will get some good faith money to you as long as you consider what has happened to us and help to fix it.
Even though technically the issue had nothing to do with them, they are in the service industry and have no choice but to concede that the customer comes first.
posted by aforward @ 10:10 AM,
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I Don't Like Chocolate? Weird
It just all of a sudden became really clear:
I am eating a chocolate chip muffin and I've pulled out all of the chocolate chips and not eaten them. Weird.
It was the same when I realized I didn't like ground beef anymore. I pulled it out of the spaghetti sauce I was eating.
posted by aforward @ 10:05 AM,
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Feeling Bad For Chad
I'm feeling really bad for Chad Pennington, poor little guy is out for the season with another torn rotator cuff. He's a guy who really just loves football, he loves to compete. You can just tell when some athletes are playing just for the love of the game. Chad also resembles a hamster which also gives him extra points in my book. He has so many un-noticed skills (ie: footwork--Roethlisberger should watch some Chad video, and he's great at selling the play action pass) Jets will sure miss him. The AFC east saw a rampage of season ending injuries this weekend Pennington, Fididler, Harrison, and Spikes to name a few.
posted by aforward @ 9:41 AM,
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Comfort Foods
Monday, September 26, 2005
Some of my favourites...especially since it is a rainy day:
-Mashed Potatoes
-Fish & Chips
-Pizza
posted by aforward @ 1:33 PM,
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My Birth-Day
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Had a really nice day yesterday with Andrew and then his family.
He took me golfing in the morning and then we spent the afternoon at a new spa in Chelsea, topped off with a 90 minute hot stone massage.
He had bought me everything on my list already (toothbrush holder, slippers).
We had a fun dinner at the farm lots of laughs which is nice.
Now I am 27! Yippeeee still a long ways from the big 3-0
posted by aforward @ 3:31 PM,
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Vermont...Cool
Have been on holidays for the past week...thank God.
We spent the weekend in Vermont in a cute little log cabin. Vermont has some really nice mountain fresh air and their milk is very good. Which is odd because their cheese wasn't that great.
We saw the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory where I was reminded why I don't like Ben and Jerry's ice cream (it's too sweet for me) Chacun son gout! Andrew loved it.
I defeated Andrew in a spirited mini putt match and we saw the very funny 40 year old virgin.
The trip would have been a lot better if not for two major factors. It rained a lot and I forgot my curling iron. Picture a bad hair adventure where even wearing a hat doesn't help your situation. I am very lucky to have a husband who is soooo supportive in this type of situation."You look great honey...frakenstein has nothing on you." This also explains why we have no pictures of our trip.
Vermont is very scenic. The state is covered in beautiful trees and mountains. And while trees don't seem that exciting, Vermont has some of the most bueatiful trees I have ever seen.
posted by aforward @ 3:10 PM,
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Why So Many Pussy Cat Dolls?
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
I guess i'm a little bitter because I hate the song "Don't Cha". But I just saw 6 whole pussycat dolls on Ellen and only one of them actually sings. (Well I knew that before but a little extra confirmation never hurts.) I bet she wishes there were fewer PCD's so her paycheck could be a lot larger.
posted by aforward @ 5:58 PM,
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Strange Fascination With UFC
Friday, September 16, 2005
I'm not sure why but lately I've been mesmerized by Mixed-Martial Art Fighting. I don't think I'm a violent person, but there's nothing like a good knock-out or submisson to put me in a good mood.
It started when I was at a party in the summer and the finale of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter was on. I couldn't hear anything I could just see the fighting., and I was enjoying it.
The second season just started and it is on Monday nights, so i've been watching that too.
Also on Monday is the WWE and I think that's why I'm fascinated by the UFC because people are actually being knocked the fcuk out. Unlike WWE which is really irritating to watch.
I love that you can actually see someone in the process of "lights out". The blank stare, the wobbly knees and BOP down to the canvas.
I guess I can't blame my husband for being a little bit frightend of me when I ask if he wants to "play" wrestle.
posted by aforward @ 1:54 PM,
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I Have a Date...With myself???
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
So Savion Glover is coming to the NAC in October. Believing that no one in Ottawa knows who Savion Glover is I checked 3 days after the tickets went on sale to buy them and there were none available. A slight depression ensued.
So I'm checking again today and there is one seat available so I snatch it up because I HAVE to go. I'm thinking I will be able to get Andrew a single ticket at some point in the next four weeks. But what if I can't? I never been to a public show by myself. Never been to the movies by myself or a play or anything like that.
Hey who knows it might be fun? Maybe I will even take myself out for a nice dinner.
posted by aforward @ 4:10 PM,
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A Nice Moment..
Since our office just moved we've had to call on the maintenance staff quite a bit to get a few things sorted out. The main guy was Pascal (picture a french, white construction worker) but he said he had to go away for two months so we had a new guy helping us.
Well I just went down to drop off some mail and voila...Pascal with a stroller and two very black children. He waves me over and says hello...these are my children. Picture me with a blank stare. He responds I have just adopted them from Haiti.
I respond wow so that's why you've been away.
I know they say pregnant women have this glow, but I've never seen anything like a new Dad with his children.
Anyways it was a very touching moment for me...it's always nice when the human spirit surprises you.
posted by aforward @ 1:55 PM,
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Thoughts from the US Open
Monday, September 12, 2005
Thanks for the great week Andre it was nice to see you make the US Open championship final and thank you reiterating that Roger Federer is a better player than Pete Sampras. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I know what it is now...I can't say I ever once enjoyed watching Pete Sampras play tennis. He was a bit of a gorilla.
Mary Pierce thanks for joining us in two Grand Slam finals and having won a cumulative 6 games.
What was with those Andy Roddick commercials?
What was with those Pete Sampras commercials? ("I know I'm the best", "obviously i'm the best". "When I won it was the best win ever") Pete I'm sorry I don't remember the time you won the French Open...oh that's right you didn't.
Yeah! For the Andre and Steffi commericial!
Great article summing up the tournament: here
posted by aforward @ 12:22 PM,
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Miami Wins Season Opener
go phins..it's your birfday, goes phins it's your birfday.
And if i'm not mistaken our offense even scored some of the points.
posted by aforward @ 12:12 PM,
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Squirrel vs Bicycle
Thursday, September 08, 2005
I was very close to running over a squirrel on my bicycle yesterday. I'm wondering what would have actually happened if I had hit it. It would be odd to see road kill on a bicycle path. I think if I hit it head on I would have run over its back and it would probably have survived with a few broken bones. If I swerved before hitting it, I'm sure the injuries would have been minor.
posted by aforward @ 10:20 AM,
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Thougths On Mother Nature
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
We spit on mother nature, throw our garbage on mother nature, we pollute her air, we overconsume and I think sometimes she just gets PMS or something and says fcuk you. Just as animals have a defense mechanism (ie: eels, porcupines etc) I think when mother nature gets fed up with us... she attempts to protect herself through natural disasters, just to remind us ungrateful wretches who the real boss is. Hell hath no fury...
posted by aforward @ 5:22 PM,
Work
work is such an overrated profession...
posted by aforward @ 5:12 PM,
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Why I love September
leaves are starting to change...
other people have to go back to school...
weather is at its best... not too hot, not too cold...
my birthday lies on the 21st (gifts are welcome)...
i was proposed to by a wonderful man in September...
i have a week of vacation time...
posted by aforward @ 5:09 PM,
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The Apathy Epidemic
Sunday, September 04, 2005
I was first introduced to the word apathy during our AGM for Field Hockey this year. We were asking the provincial representatives straight out "Why aren't we able to grow our membership?,Why aren't we able to get more teams participating in our national championships? and the one consistent answer was "Apathy", or better phrased... "because no one really wants to do the work."
I think humans in general are stuck in this lull... of oh "I don't feel like it". Personally I'm a big culprit. I know I should be exercising more but it's a lot easier to sit on the couch and it is VERY easy to say "I don't feel like it."
I wonder where all this laziness has come from.... and is it possible for laziness to become an epidemic like obesity.
At my job sometimes I won't do a task or i'll put it off 'till a little later because I don't really feel like doing it. Now imagine someone with a more important job doing the same thing... like an air traffic controller or... oh I don't know...a hurricane emergency response team.
posted by aforward @ 12:54 PM,
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