Customer Service To Remember

Whenever I have to buy something or even get a quote, I always pay close attention to the service being offered. While I do purchase many products online, the buying experience is still an important one to me which is why, when I receive excellent customer service (and a great price) I always do my best to pay it forward. I have had some atrocious experiences with various companies and at a myriad of stores and dealerships over the years but I have also had some excellent transactions which have made the experience much more pleasant. In those instances, I also make sure to seek that sales person out when returning to the store.

My recent car ordeal was a perfect example of this as I experienced the range of interactions between the various dealerships. Once my brother’s dealership was ruled out (they don’t sell the car that I settled on), I proceeded to stop by a variety of Mercedes dealers to both talk with a sales person and see what price they could offer. My first stop was to Tom Masano in Reading where the sales woman with whom I spoke was excellent and they offered a great price. The second stop was to Mercedes-Benz of Fort Washington where they were less than welcoming and brushed me off not even bothering to follow up with a reasonable offer. The third was to Euro Motorcars of Devon where I received the same excellent experience that I had in Reading and they came back with a better price. Deal done.

More recently, I have experienced the same variety of satisfaction when getting quotes for the initial projects that we wanted to get done around the house. Some of the contractors listened to exactly what I wanted, others just went about designing something that didn’t make much sense at all. Some prices were really high and others were lower than I was expecting. However, while price was an important factor, it was the interaction that I had with each of the companies that really made the difference as some were clearly looking at the task with dollar signs in mind while others, one in particular, took the time to make sure it was the solution that made the most sense and that would be done right.

Even with regard to our banking, the way that we are treated makes a huge difference. While the hours and locations are convenient, TD Bank has continued to offer one of the worst customer experiences that I have ever encountered with a financial institution. We have already switched our primary banking and now we will be transitioning our secondary banking in the near future as these other institutions are actually pleasant to deal with on a regular basis and haven’t hampered us with ridiculous charges.

Of course, there are the basic retail sales associates that I know by name that have made many transactions much more pleasant in recent years like Dave at Raymour & Flanigan, Frank at Coins & Currency of Wayne, my cousin when I need clothes, many employees at the local Lowe’s, the entire staff at Tanner’s Sports Center, and many other people at various local businesses. Additionally, the customer support teams at Amazon and Sportsman’s Guide have been excellent as of late. Great people that continue to make things just a little easier.

The Collection Is Growing Exponentially!

Over the years I have had various business cards of different designs and for different purposes. Starting in college, I found this to be a great tool when going to meetings, networking events, and when interviewing for jobs. Having a clear, well designed business card has always made a great impression and proved to be a key early on in both my academic and professional careers.

It is actually interesting for me to look back at all of my old cards as I have kept copies from every address and position that I have held over the years. While many times I opted for a very basic design and layout, there are other cards when I used a little creativity to help them stand out. Having recently in the late fall and wanting to change things up a bit, I found myself in a position where I needed to update my cards. While in the past I have always walked into the local Staples to get the work done, this time around I decided to give Vistaprint a try.

The basic templates and stock options were all reasonable and offered a wide variety for just about any profession or service imaginable. While there was nothing with a square and compass I did find an appropriate design with just a hint of blue that I was able to tailor to my needs. With a thick linen stock, these new cards should hold up much better than the last batch and it was only a couple dollars more for the batch of 500.

Designing my personal cards was a little more of an involved process as I really wanted to change things up as compared to the ones that I have had printed in the past. With a stockpile of photos from various trips at my immediate disposal, I decided that this would be a perfect time to use some of my favorite images. So I went with a full color design on the front and back evenly spacing four photos on the front and six on the back. It seems like a lot but it actually worked out and looks fantastic.

Of course, when placing this order I was given the option to purchase an address stamp at a significant discount. With the amount of physical mail that I still send out on a regular basis this was well worth the five dollar investment. When I received the order at work the following week the cards were better than expected but the stamp fell short. More accurately, it was a little off center and tilted. However, to their credit, it took me about two minutes to get everything squared away with customer service and a new unit was in hand by the end of the week.

So now I find myself with quite the collection of active business cards as I have two personal options, one for lodge, one for work, and I am also receiving promotional business cards for each book that I publish. I have two in hand so far with two more on the way and a more that will follow later in the year. By the end of the year I may have a pocket full of about a dozen options. I think I may have a problem.

Firearms Friday: A Long Absence

It had been over four months since I was last in a gun shop so it was nice to return to Tanner’s Sports Center this week and catch up with some of the guys behind the counter. While most of my visits in the past consisted of looking around to see what interesting items had come through the door and what I would like to add to my wish list, this time it was a completely different trip as I was seeking some information regarding the current prices should I do a little bit of safe cleaning. Even with conversations such as this, knowing they are not going to be making a sale, I got help from at least a half dozen employees who were happy to help figure everything out. Try getting that service just before closing time at some of the retail chains (and some of the other local shops).

Of course, while we were chatting I couldn’t help but take a look through the used cases just to see what was being offered and how much some of the firearms were selling for. And, as many of you know and experience on a regular basis, when you look you can’t help but ask to touch. This was the case when I caught a glimpse of a FN Five Seven in excellent condition. I had only handled one other in the past but that is years ago at this point. I keep forgetting how light, functional, and comfortable those handguns are. But, I was not there to buy (and I have never spent that much on a firearm) so I handed it back for someone else to steal at $899. That might be right up there with the Desert Eagle as a couple of my lottery guns.

After chatting a bit more I left wondering when I would be able to make it back to the store again. Time is not something that I have a lot of and it will be difficult to make it back (especially with the ongoing construction that is still jamming things up for mile surrounding the store. Maybe there are a few other, more convenient, places that I will have to reluctantly explore. Now the next task will be to find a few minutes to get on the range and enjoy this difficult and relaxing hobby. However, my next trip may be sooner rather than later to the store to take them up on the prices that I was offered. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Paint Chips And Poor Customer Service

I readily admit that I am frequently not the easiest person to deal with. This is especially true when it comes to customer service calls. I do my best and have even made a more concerted effort as of late to be as nice and understanding as possible when I have to participate in these calls but sometimes it is really hard to keep my cool. I have been dealing with such a situation for the past two weeks as our insurance company which has had a tremendous track record personally has completely mucked up just about everything that I have called about and/or requested over the past month.

Thankfully, I have been able to keep my temper under control throughout this whole process but my patience is running thinner than [insert your cliche or original thought here]. And it hasn’t really been a matter of incompetence… as time goes on it seems to be more and more about laziness. I have made numerous efforts to communicate through email as well as by phone and I have even coordinated a time to speak with someone. When it came time for them to call at the time they promised, my phone failed to ring and no attempt at following up or explaining what had happened was ever made.

It has been a rather frustrating time especially knowing what exceptional experiences I have had with this insurance company in the past. Up until a few weeks ago I have had nothing but good things to say about this company but lately I have had to measure my words a bit given the last few people with whom I have had the displeasure of communicating (or lack thereof). And just think, this is without me getting angry, abrasive, or even difficult. I have done everything I can, within reason, to accommodate the company but have, as of today, nothing to show for it.

I would consider changing my insurance company but I have yet to see any rates anywhere near what we are paying. And I have given just about every agent and company a chance whenever they have popped up. It used to be great service and great rates and now it seems as though I am left with just the latter of the two. What’s even worse is that the most recent conversations with the insurance company they have tried to hard sell me all of their other offering before allowing me to resume my day. They may want to get better at their current job, complete their existing task, before even thinking about trying to sell me anything. And yes, I remained calm.

No More Fees For You!

Over the years I have had accounts at a variety of banks. For one reason or another, I have also changed banks numerous times. Usually it was because of location or the simple fact that it was bought out by one of the larger financial institutions. In the past it was never much of an issue as I didn’t have many automatic payments and I didn’t write too many checks. However, things change and I am now in the process of shifting things over once again.

While the hours at TD Bank have always been very convenient and the sheer size of the company assures that there is always a location just around the corner, the benefits pretty much stop there. Over the past couple of years I have watched as the various fees have been scattered throughout my monthly statements. I always pay bills on time but ATM and ‘Balance Inquiry’ fees have been a source of annoyance. I sometimes wonder what the account balance would be if those $2 and $3 fees over the past several years where returned. Actually, I really don’t want to know.

In addition to this, the speed at which transactions are processed is about as fast as a constipated turtle. Having already transferred most of our funds to another bank, I can say with certainty that this is not the normal pace at which a bank should be operating. A perfect example is when, some time ago, I transferred my credit card balance to another bank and while I know this other bank sent the electronic payment and posted it to the other account, it still took TD Bank nearly two weeks before confirming the transaction and reflecting that on my statement.

I am done with this particular company. Heck, this bank wasn’t my choice anyway as I originally had an account with Commerce Bank. So now I am taking my funds, as limited as they may be, and moving them to a local bank. While there hours and locations may not be as convenient, the service and speed thus far is something that we haven’t experienced in the past. When we have a question there is always someone there to answer it, transactions are posted within a day, and the fees have magically disappeared replaced by an interest bearing checking account. It is a bank that choses to deal with their customers not solely the accounts associated with them. It is nice to be a person again… a welcomed change… only the latest of a year full of changes.

That Plan Didn’t Work

It is pretty obvious to my coworkers, neighbors, and anyone who reads this blog that I do a lot of ordering from Amazon. The selection is good, prices are reasonable, the shipping is usually fast, and I have never had an issue regarding the occasional return. I have had a solid overall experience with Amazon over the years which is why I was interested in the Subscribe & Save program. Pretty straight forward… select a few items that you would like to receive on a regular basis (i.e. coffee, paper towels, dish soap, baby formula, etc.), set the delivery date, and have them automatically show up at the door on the date you specified. At least that is how it is supposed to work.

A couple of weeks before we left on our Virginia vacation, my wife and I put a list together of the items that we would been upon our return. We could just as easily pick them up from the grocery store the following day but this offered a convenient and cost effective alternative… it is also nice to have all the bulky items on the doorstep rather than my wife having to pick them up while shopping with our son. So I logged into my Amazon account, selected the items, and adjusted the delivery date for the Monday after we got back.

When we pulled into the parking lot and approached the front door, we could see that there was a note left for us. Before we had a chance to open it, our neighbors stopped us and let us know that they moved our packages inside their house so they wouldn’t get wet. I wasn’t sure what packages could have arrived as the deliveries were scheduled for tomorrow, nothing else had been ordered from any other website, and our mail was on hold until the following day. When they emerged with a rather large box in hand I knew that Amazon screwed up at least some part of the order (I double checked later to ensure that it was their mistake and not mine).

When I went to the post office before work the following morning I found the rest of the items that we put on order. Not one thing was delivered on the day specified so now I am wondering if it is worth the aggravation to keep the subscriptions active. While normally it wouldn’t be an issue we almost had a serious problem… imagine if the baby formula were sitting out the in 90+ degree sun for nearly a week? Thankfully, this time, there were no sun baked boxes. I really have to think about this for a while but it just goes to show that sometimes you can be too fast with your shipping. After all, no one likes premature packages.

Note: Amazon customer service is of little help with this issue offering not explanation or honest apology (of course I could only understand about half of what they were saying).  

Not In The Job Description

 

Most of the people we work with on a daily basis understand the parameters of our job. However, there are a few people that we come across that really have no idea what it is that we do. Every once in a while I check my email only to find request after request for things do be done that do not fall under my job description nor does it fall under the services that my company provides. This is an all too common (usually from the same people over and over again)... we are seen as he corporate catch all when there is a shift in the in house marketing staff. Usually, when there is a vacuum in the marketing and sometimes sales side, we are for some reason the ones that they turn to.

As is probably clear by some of the things that I have written over the past year, I am not one to shy away from work. Frankly, I enjoy working and I am always looking for something that is a bit of a challenge, something that I may have never worked on before. But those are the things that I do in my free time. When a client is paying us for the work that we do, it is not in anyone’s best interest for us to attempt to complete a project, taking away time from the things that we are paid to do, without assurance that we would do the best job at it.

We know what we are good at and we know what we have much less experience with. This seems to keep getting lost in the communication no matter how clearly or bluntly it is stated. It just goes to show that sometimes communication is only as good as how much someone listens. We are all guilty of not listening and letting assumptions dictate our perceptions. Let me put it a different way…

We have all made calls to customer service for one reason or another. But, let’s be honest, usually it is because we have a complaint. The majority of the time we begin losing a little reality and assign authority or jobs to the person on the other line. We don’t really stop to think if they will be able to rectify the problem. We decide what their job description is without asking what they are able to do.

However, there are times when we call, listen, and have a conversation knowing full well that they may not be able to answer all our question or find a solution on the spot. And you know what… when you don’t make assumptions you might be surprised at the results. Comcast did that last week when I called to clarify my bill. Basically, I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to go up any more and, if need be, see if I could lock in the current rate. By the end of the call, after a nice conversation with Deb, I hung up with my bill reduced by about 40%.

So, before you call or email, be ready to listen to the response. Don’t assume the job description of the person on the other end. And even when someone us unable to get the project done, think about where there efforts will be focused and the results that will come from concentrating their efforts on what they are paid to do. When you work toward your strengths, maintaining within the prevue of your job description, your efforts will match the outcome.

Sometimes You Want To Go…

Photo of Ray Tanner Sr. taken from Tanner's Sport Center website.

…where everybody knows your name.

Anyone that is familiar with the show “Cheers” knows the theme song mentioned above and is familiar with the greeting that Norm received when he walked in the bar. However, in life, that is something that not everyone has been able to experience. Over the years there have been to a few places that have greeted me with the same friendly demeanor and familiarity. Recently, the one place beyond work, Rotary, and lodge where that happens to me is when I walk into my favorite, and in my opinion best in the Philadelphia area, gun shop, Tanner’s Sport Center.

The interesting thing is that every time I go there to pick up a small item or two, usually a magazine, ammo, or beef jerky, there are people there spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars all around me. No matter how small the purchase every sales person knows exactly who I am, greets me, and entertains my requests to see firearms that they know I am not going to purchase. It is during these times of window shopping that I have had some excellent conversations with each one of the people working at the store.  

Of course, there have been times when I have gone there to trade and, by the time I left, walked out with something much better. Honestly, I don’t know how it works out, but I find myself getting the better end of the deal every time. I have seen the prices, especially during the gouging period about a year ago, and at no time did the prices skyrocket at Tanner’s. Not surprisingly, this caused the parking lot to overflow onto the grass (if you could even find a spot) and the shelves and cases to look a little to airy. But that is what happens when a store remains equally loyal to their customers as the customers are loyal to the store (that loyalty is also evident through their constant communication on the store's Facebook page).  

I have been to dozens of gun shops throughout the area and outside of the area, especially during this never ending ammo shortage, and I can say with certainty that most are not focused on customer service and that is putting a positive spin on the various situations. Tanner’s has always been a store with a family feel and, while for many people this may be hard to understand, it is somewhere I can go to relax and feel immediately comfortable. I can talk to the people there like friends I have known my entire life and with whom I share a common interest.

There are stores open for the sole purpose of making as much money as possible, even if that means gouging their customers, and there are others that focus on the service of their customers, treating them like friends or family in the process. These are the stores that take the time to know with whom they are speaking, take an interest in the products that are on the shelves, and care enough to remember your name whether or not you are there to buy, sell, or just browse. This is why we need to continue supporting the local stores where community is part of the business plan and sales are fueled by fairness, respect, honesty, and loyalty. It is for these reasons that I am writing this post, the first promotional type post that I have written on this blog (restaurant and travel reviews don't count), and why I encourage you, if you are interested in firearms, to stop by Tanner’s Sport Center and show them your support.

Penny For Your Thoughts

It was classification talk time this week at the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth as we learned a little bit more about our newest member, and our new Vice President, Penny Hughes. Penny is thriving in her second career as a banker at Bryn Mawr Trust and after opening a new branch in Bala Cynywd she made her way to our club earlier this year. Transitioning from hair stylist to banker is not a scenario that you hear often but, having known Penny for some time now, it makes perfect sense.

Bryn Mawr Trust is a bank that I know well as I grew up in Bryn Mawr just down the street from the bank’s original location (still  there today). My family has been at that bank for decades and I plan on transitioning my accounts over there at some point in the near future. I consider the current location of my accounts as the consequence of youthful naivety.

Penny, who serves as Branch Manager and Vice President at the Bank, is the embodiment of why I plan on moving my finances to that institution. It is the personal attention, intelligence, and a common sense approach that is unparalleled in a national institution setting. Anything and everything can be handled through the various departments at the bank in the same manner whether it is a simple banking need, loans/mortgages, investments, insurance, and various other needs.

Penny’s journey at Bryn Mawr Trust is one that is fueled by her intelligence, people person personality, hard work, and inspired by her philosophy on life passed down from her Grandmother. Working her way up from a part time teller to a VP and Branch Manager, Penny is the embodiment of the American Dream and she is proof that even if you do something for 20+ years doesn’t mean you can’t change and be successful in a completely different line of work. And now, of course, that transition has brought her to Rotary.

Penny’s exemplary attributes are why we have decided to appoint her as our club’s Vice President. I look forward to working with her in the years ahead as I know she will bring the same fervor and love of people and service to Rotary as she does to her job. As a small club we have to watch every penny and now we can watch what great things can be accomplished by one Penny in particular.

Not Your Usual Quote of the Week Blog

The quote for this week is not from some famous author nor is it bullshit spewed from the mouth of a politician, it is not of a movie star’s flub or a news anchor’s Freudian slip, it is not from Torah or some tormented poet, it is not from a TV show or western philosopher commonly misquoted by half thinking college students. This quote is nothing special; it is a very simple question that was posed to me by one of the building board members at the Memorial Day party on Monday -  

“Have you ever thought about taking (property) management classes?”

This is a topic that many residents and other board members have skirted around during our occasional conversations but it had never been put so bluntly and I was taken back for a second. Thankfully the food arrived before I could respond and I was off to help set up the tables. I have put off thinking about this question until now. Let’s see where the free flow of thought takes this one…

Honestly, this is something that has never crossed my mind mainly because there is no way that we could afford such a luxury at this point. Having worked at the building since September, I really enjoy talking to residents and helping out in any way I can… there is a great sense of pride I take in my job by making sure all of the major things are taken care of while, as the same time, making sure the little things are executed correctly. Sometimes it’s as easy as walking to the elevator as they get off and offering to put their mail in the mailbox while other times it is answering the phone every morning and letting one of our more senior residents know what day it is. But what has gotten the most positive reception is simply paying attention when someone gets on the elevator, standing up when they get to the lobby, and saying good morning (even if they don’t say anything back).

Wow, tough job isn’t it. Sad to say, you would be surprised by how many people I have seen come and go during my brief time but the people that get it are the ones that will always have a job.

This is the basic foundation of the hospitality industry and customer service in general. It is not about getting the job done, it’s about how you get it done and the little things you do along the way that make it as pleasant and enjoyable experience as possible for the customer or in this case the resident. It is the job of management to make sure that this is the focus of the staff. Of course, there are many other things that need to be addressed on a daily basis and sometimes the basics are put to the side but so long as they return to the fundamentals and ensure that the focus remains on exceptional hospitality with business and logistics being the supporting factors of that ultimate end.

So I guess that this post is my consideration of that question. Maybe management classes would be a good fit. After all, my background is in public and client relations so it seems to be a natural progression if the right opportunity presents itself. At this point I can't rule anything out. I have to be open to the opportunities that come my way. Let's see what happens.