 Your
Goodwill Has Expired
Alice’s
prepaid telephone calling card said ‘Expires August
31, 2001’ on the back.
She decided to use the remaining value of the card at
8:00 pm on August 31.
Unfortunately, the card had already been terminated
when she tried to make a call. There was no value remaining.
She held a worthless piece of plastic.
The telephone company had terminated her phone card’s
value on the very first minute of the listed
expiration date (12:01 am), rather than the very last
minute as Alice had expected (11:59 pm).
The company may be technically right, but commercially
they are dead wrong.
When you see an expiration date, don’t you assume
the product is valid until the end of that
date? Isn’t that how your credit card works? Isn’t
that how a food expiration date works? Isn’t that
how your telephone calling card should work, too?
Key Learning Point
When
setting policies and procedures, make every effort to
see the world from your customer's point of view. Make
their view, your view.
Action Steps
Carefully review
all recent customer complaints. Look for cases where customers
complain that your policies are too narrow, your processes
too slow or your procedures too bureaucratic. Revisit
the source of these complaints. Is there another way
to see the situation? Do your customers have a point
you should consider? Start making changes. Keep on improving
until their views and your views are aligned.
Next Article in Customer Service Toolset >>
Please Drive Around Once Again
First Article in Customer Service Value Dimensions >>
In Customers We Trust
Did you appreciate this customer service training article?
Get more like this at no charge. Subscribe now to the UP Your Service! newsletter.
YOU MAY USE THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING ARTICLE IN YOUR FREE NEWSLETTER OR YOUR WEB SITE
as long as you include this complete statement:
Copyright, Ron Kaufman. Used with permission.
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed customer service training educator for quality service.
He is author of the bestselling series "UP Your Service!" and founder of
"UP Your Service College".
To enjoy more customer service training articles,
visit www.RonKaufman.com and www.UpYourService.com
FOR COMMERCIAL USE of this article in a paid newsletter, publication, or training program, please refer to our Terms of Use.
|
