Are you trying to fool me?

In March I will be celebrating 10 years working for the same company.  As I mentioned before, I have been working in customer service all my life.  I started answering consumers for this company about 2 months after I joined because I had the knowledge to answer their questions.  It's with time that I discovered that investigation skills are just an added bonus when doing consumer relations.

If you are into freebies, please raise your hand.  I see a lot of hands up in the air (and wave 'em like you just don't care).  Most of us are quite happy when we can get free goods.  What I came to discover is that some people make it their way of life!

I also realized that consumer relations also means frequent callers.  If I pick up the phone and recognize the consumer by his or her voice, in most cases, it is not a good sign!  It means we've been talking often.  I have heard stories about deceased husbands, children who don't visit their parents anymore, upcoming or past surgeries, traumatizing car accidents, husbands who have cheated, etc.  Although I will not name my employer, let me confirm that I work for a manufacturer and not for a social help line.  But people get lonely and they know they will get someone on the line.  And if I have spoken to them before, I have become somewhat of a friend!  I'm a sucker for the elderly.  I always think to myself: "And if this were my grandmother, I would want her to have someone listen to her".  Then again, I was there for my grandmother and she didn't need to call strangers to have company, but that's a whole different and sad story!

There was this one woman who lived in the country.  Let's call her Jane Doe.  Jane had called numerous times to get discount coupons, to exchange a product, to complain about this, that and the colour of the sky.  In good consumer relations, we address those issues.  My personal policy is not that the client is always right.  It is to let the client think they are right and, in the end, to leave them with a pleasant feeling.  But not at any cost.  I don't believe that knowingly getting screwed over by consumers is part of good relations for a company.  So Jane here is starting to exceed the limit of what is acceptable.  (Personally, if I had to call a manufacturer 10 times due to a defect or issue I have with their product, I think I would switch!)  When a person is that persistent and finds a problem with every item she purchases, it raises a red flag for me.  ADDICTED TO FREEBIES ALERT!

One morning, my phone rings.  The woman on the line starts to tell me her story and as she's talking, I am searching through my database.  I know this voice but cannot quite identify it.  I ask her name and she answers (modified information here) "Mary Smith".  Basically, she is asking for her money back because she is not satisfied with her purchases, which represents roughly $75 to $100.  I take down her phone number and tell her that I have an emergency and must let her go, but that I will call her back to solve the issue within the next 30 to 45 minutes.

I take this time to gather all my information because I will need to be ready to stand my ground.  First things first.  She tells me she bought the goods at the (modified info again) BLA BLA store.  Problem is, our products are not sold at any BLA BLA store in North America at the moment.  So she's already lying to me.  Come on!  If you're going to take me for a ride, make sure you check the map first!  The goods she is asking for a refund on are (modified information) eggs, butter and bread.

 

I finally call her back within the hour.  She picks up the phone.
-Hello, may I speak to Jane Doe please?

-This is she.

And my ball is already rolling.  She doesn't know she's getting a ride in my passenger's seat and I know very well which roads I will be taking.  I explain that I am calling back concerning the refund request she made earlier.  I think we were in January or February then. 

"I don't know if you remember", I say, "but I had sent you a letter last October further to a complaint you had made then.  I sent you many goods and, along with those goods, I included a letter which listed all the items I was sending: eggs, butter and bread.  You are therefore asking me to reimburse you goods I had sent you for free 3 months ago.  Second, our products are not presently sold at BLA BLA stores in this country.  Last but not least, when you picked up the phone earlier, I asked to speak with Jane Doe.  When we first spoke an hour ago, you informed me your name was Mary Smith.  For these reasons, I am sure you will understand I am unable to grant you the reimbursement you are asking for".  "Yes, I understand", she let out in a whisper.  I wished her a good day and hung up.  I haven't heard from Jane Doe nor Mary Smith ever since.  I wonder why.

I love doing what I do.  I want to offer excellent service to all those who contact me.  I don't believe that the best consumer relations or customer service is based on freebies.  It's based on solving actual issues and keeping true customers happy.  That's my point of view and I'm sticking to it!

When Miss IPP goes shopping!

My first job was as a salesgirl in a kids' clothing store. I was 16 years old. Then I started as a CSR ("Customer Service Representative") working for Budget Rent-A-Car at the Montreal Airport. That followed by working as a cashier for the Airport Improvement Fees (a.k.a. the worst job EVER), then as an esthetician in a beauty salon and, finally, doing what I have been doing now for almost 10 years with the same company.

I currently am "Director of Public and Consumer Relations". The public relations part is fairly recent and, although I love what I do, it is still new to me and my story today mostly concerns the second portion: consumer relations or, for lack of a better expression; customer service.


I have been doing customer service all of my professional life (read above for proof). My professional life is resumed with one expression: serving people. Honestly, I have done other tasks in my work life and, although I am not usually one to toot her own horn, I know this is what I shine at. I have basically been doing customer service for half my life. I therefore have high expectations. Or... not really. I am very appreciative of great service. On the other hand, when something goes out of whack, this Customer is unhappy!


It's New Year's Eve and I am going to my mom's cousin's for dinner and then to my best friend's house for the late party. I needed at least two bottles of wine and so to the liquor store I went (communément appelée la SAQ). I arrive at the first location and go through the outside doors. I find myself reading a posting on the inside doors which goes: CASH and CREDIT ONLY. The store manager, who obviously noticed the question mark on my gorgeous pasty-white face (hey, if I don't compliment myself, who will?), peeks in and repeats what I just read on the door. "So..., no debit?", I ask, trying to make sure I am getting this right (the Holidays have been kinda rough on me and emptying my grandma's appartment made me a tad emotional. I feel in a little bit of a haze so I wanna make sure I clearly get the message). "No, no debit cards", he answers. Well, darn. I'm a debit kinda girl and I don't do credit cards! Back to the car I go and I think to myself: "Should I go to the bank, get money and come back or should I just drive to the other nearest location?" Nearest location it is.



I park near the second liquor store. I look on all the doors; no signs. I figure I am good to go. I walk in and I am greeted by the store manager who offers me a tasting of some white wine. I politely decline and move over to the Italian section. Or should I grab one of my favorite Australians (wine - that is)? I grab my two bottles and take my turn waiting in line for the cashes.


I wait. The store manager offers more customers a small glass of wine. He asks who is paying cash and moves them to a specific cashier. I wait some more. More customers. More wine offerings. I move over one step. "Paying cash? Right this way please", I hear him say again. This is not something unusual at this time of year. Cash transactions are much faster to complete and cashiers are often reserved for "cash only" so I am not startled. Yet. Did I mention I have my debit card in my hand? Wait another minute. Move one step further ahead. "White wine?" I have been in the store a good 15 minutes and waiting for at least 10, but I have the bottles I need and I am not the impatient type. The store manager tells a customer: "Right here if you are paying cash, this line for credit". I move forward. He notices my debit card. Now I feel somewhat impatient. "No debit?", I inquire. "No, no debit. The entire SAQ system has shut down and none of our locations are able to do debit transactions". I can now see inside my head. Two wires come closer together and, in my head, a short-circuit happens. I DEMAND better customer service!!! I hear other customers sigh and grunt.


Keeping calm (I can be very blunt, but not impolite and making a scene at any time is out of the question), I move toward the so-called store manager who has spent the last 15 minutes offering his customers a free small glass of wine. I remember the episode which happened about 40 minutes earlier at another location. "And you were not able to post a sign or something to let us know in advance instead of making us wait in line?", I tell him. "It only happened 30 minutes ago", he lets out. Whoa buddy... Wrong answer to the wrong person; I will beat you at this game, I promise. "This means, sir, that you have had 30 minutes to put up a sign!" I figured the other store manager was brilliant enough to work that out and tell his customers before they even walked into the store.


I open my recycled shopping bag and grab a first bottle, which I originally had the intention of buying. I put it in his hand. I grab the second bottle and he puts the plastic glass of wine down to grab my second bottle. "You could have put the bottles back on the shelves", he verbalizes. (Oh no, you didn't!, is what I hear inside my head. He hasn't heard a thing because I am talking to myself, but I have already warned him that I will beat him flat at this game. Can't he take a hint? Doesn't he see my eyes are loaded and ready to fire?) "Well, yes, I could have. On the other hand, you also could have put up a sign and inform your customers properly" I tell him, before putting my recycled bag back in my purse and heading out the door. He didn't risk a smart reply. Good for him.


I ended up taking with me bottles I already had at home! Nobody likes to waste time, even for a fine bottle of wine!


Happy New Year, everybody!