Customer service: ownership, connectivity and empathy

At 16, my first job out of school was as a customer assistant at a very traditional department store in my hometown of Ross-on-wye. It was reminiscent of Grace Brothers of Are You Being Served? However, the principles of good customer service were an integral part of how the store operated. Maybe this was, in part due to it being a local shop and a high percentage of local people were known. My role was to look after the menswear department along with helping out in the carpet section. So having this background and having my earlier career in retail and wholesale and then moving into the service sector with Royal Mail, I have a comprehensive understanding as to what good service looks like.

Let's now fast-track to February 2018. This story could be many companies but for me, it illustrates why ownership, connectivity and empathy are essential ingredients in keeping a customer happy and retaining their loyalty.

The background

So, as I said let's go back to February this year. The background is that during my house renovation, I knocked out a fireplace, then had a wall reconfigured to allow for a wall-mounted fire. In February we ordered a fire from B&Q. Our gas fitter was ready. After a time, it arrived but the glass front was damaged. So we waited for a replacement for a long time, as it was out of stock. Then we did get another one delivered, but the glass front was damaged again. So again we arranged for another one to be delivered and with really great service that came after a couple of days. We were given the reassurance that this would be personally checked by the manager....oh, but the glass front was damaged again! So as the picture illustrates I now have three damaged fires.

Connectivity

Different parts of an organisation need to ensure they are connected. Be these deliveries, sales or customer complaints. If B&Q had ensured that everyone was aware of this problem, it potentially could have been rectified quickly. The social media customer team can't make outbound calls and asked me to phone them back, as there will be a different team coming on and they can't leave any messages on the system. No connection between different parts of the organisation.

Ownership

The product was sold by the store and this should be acknowledged. However, the store kept asking us to call the manufacturer. This clearly is displacement of responsibility. To provide a good customer service, responsibility needs to be taken.

Empathy

I as the customer clearly wants the problem sorted. To date, it has taken 12 phone calls and regular promises of being called back, but these have proved to be empty. It should be that the customer service team employ emotional intelligence to determine the mood of the customer but also not compound the problem, but try to remedy it.

So, as I sit typing this, I am still waiting to be called back. It isn't a rant, but a blog of disappointment that fundamental customer service is overlooked. As I reflect back to the days, when I was in retail, be it with my first store or with Primark or Clarks Shoes, I believe not only did I seek to help people sort out problems, but it gave me great pleasure to do so.