I sure do like having a DVR (Digital Video Recorder). We have come a long way since my teen years when we had four or five channels to choose from and I was the remote control. J Back in those days, if you missed a show…too bad. Perhaps you could catch a re-run in the summer. Now we set the DVR to season pass and our favorite series are recorded and waiting on us. It does not matter if I am late or even if I am not at home at all. To top it off, we can fast forward through the commercials. Recently my DVR had a problem and it was not properly recording our shows. It was disappointing to sit down in anticipation of watching something that was supposed be recorded and getting nothing but a blank screen. My wife’s bad language was really embarrassing when this happened. Now that is a joke because she is actually a sweetie. Now I am no tech or mechanical guru but the problem was obvious to me. Our DVR was defective in some way and needed to be repaired or replaced.
I called our satellite provider and had no doubt they would take care of it quickly. Wrong! First, I was kept on the phone for about an hour as I followed the instructions of the (no) customer service rep as I was guided through steps that I had already taken (as I explained to the rep). I knew what the problem was and was confident it needed to be repaired, by them, or replaced. I was treated like a child or as if I did not have a clue (insert your snide comment here….______________________________). The customer service rep treated me as if I had done something wrong, as if I didn’t know what I was talking about, and as if the problem was my fault somehow. Finally, I convinced them to send out a technician and two days later he diagnosed and resolved our problem. “You need a new DVR” he said. “This one is defective.” No kidding! I knew that from the outset.
A quick contrast. My middle daughter worked for a popular clothing store. She was instructed that when someone returns an item, accept it and replace it or refund it with no questions asked. Simply trust the customer and make them happy (meet their need). They stand behind their products totally. Wow! Did I mention that they are a “popular” clothing store.
Which of these two organizations would you consider to be “outstanding” in their service?
How about you?