There are times where the training of a customer service team and an instilled culture of customer service excellence is a joy to experience.
Exasperatingly my boiler recently broke down, presumably due to the cold spell, although at a mere 7 months old, I was understandably frustrated. Having phoned and waited on hold listening to what was no other than the traditional panpipe; I went through the usual malarkey of being told that I had come through to the wrong department and proceeded to be transferred to and fro. I pondered upon whether it could all just be an elaborate joke!
Then came on the phone, a chap called Andy. By this stage I had boarded a train to Newcastle. From Birmingham. A long journey that I feared was only to become marred by further call centre fun embroiled in a competitive challenge against mobile phone signal-stopping bridges and valleys. But I was treated like a Princess.
Andy asked for my name and spoke to me like a friend who hadn’t heard for the 27, 429th time that the boiler was broken and an engineer was needed, now! He took my phone number and promised to call back if I was cut off – which he did on a number of occasions. He even kindly offered to phone the manufacturer on my behalf to find out make and model so I didn’t have to battle, with worn patience, the phone signal and flagging battery. I ended that call with a smile and because I called him “a Darling”, something that he hasn’t “been called by a lady in years” I hope he was happy that his efforts had been appreciated and he was contented too.
So the Customer Service training paid off. It wasn’t until after, I realised that I was still to wait 3 days in the cold before an engineer was to come, but you know what? It doesn’t matter. I didn’t even think about kicking up a fuss and I haven’t been left frustrated because I know that my friend Andy would have sent one sooner if he could!
By Claudia Cooney | Righttrack’s Sales & Key Account Executive