It is a bank holiday, the summer is truly upon us and this page is in good form.
So, rather than highlighting the inadequacies of the businesses that are supposed to serve our readers, as we are wont to do, we thought we might instead focus on some of the good news out there.
And to find that good news we took to various social media platforms last week in search of examples of stellar customer care. Here are just some of the stories that came back.
Two stories shared by readers put almost all the other complaints, concerns and praise we have ever received into perspective, so we will start with them.
Cyber Monday: Are the deals real or just retailer tricks?
Food businesses get priced out: ‘I have been a chef for over 25 years and it’s the hardest it has ever been’
‘I honestly have no idea how I’m going to save my restaurant from going under’
‘I feel Irish Rail are just running down the time and hoping I will go away’
“Last year, I lost my first baby at a very late stage in the pregnancy,” begins the mail from a reader we will call M.
“One of the many very difficult things we had to do following this was return the baby buggy we’d bought from Tony Kealy’s. We’d initially bought it from there as we’d heard such good things about their customer service from so many people,” she writes.
“I was so sick with nerves in advance at the thought of having to make a case as to why we needed a refund, but I needn’t have been,” M continues. “The woman in the Walkinstown branch seemed to read our body language immediately and understood without us having to say a word. She managed the return so quickly and kindly without a single question – just unspoken empathy. I was relieved beyond measure at her level of compassion and understanding, and I’ve thought about this moment so much since and what it meant at that time.”
M says that for her, “this was the most meaningful example of good customer service I’ve ever experienced. I’m hoping to be a returning customer soon.”
Arabella Scanlon wanted to highlight the kindness of the staff in her local Tesco after her daughter Brianna died aged at just nine years old.
She says that when the staff in Tesco in Nenagh, where the family routinely shopped, heard the news, they were “devastated”.
Arabella says that they “did a whip-around and arrived at our house in the Tesco van with all our shopping, what they thought we would need, paid for and delivered by Tesco Nenagh. We live half an hour away from the store, they got our address by contacting the post office.”
It is impossible not to be moved by either of these stories. We also heard many good-news stories that were more everyday while still managing to be rare.
“I was treated to a free manicure at my local beauty salon when I arrived with an injured elbow,” writes Deirdre Kennedy. “They facilitated doing my nails very carefully to take account of the sling and, as a cheer-up gesture for my injury, they refused to accept payment. How wonderful is this? The salon is in Churchtown. It is called Sandrelle and is owned by the extremely kind Laura and assisted by her equally talented colleague Claire. They are a small beauty salon, and are most deserving of a shout-out and local support.”
Done.
“Just a short note to tell you about Digiweb,” begins the mail from Ray Deasy. “Firstly, I rarely write reviews, especially negative ones as I know it can have a truly negative effect on businesses. If I was to leave one it really would be deserved,” he says.
“Many people are unaware and don’t understand that it can affect people’s livelihoods. If I leave a review its usually a positive one. However, I do also understand that a bad review is wholly justified in some cases and it’s good to tell people the truth. Unfortunately, bad news travels faster than ever before.”
That is all by way of preamble from Ray. “But let me tell you about a company in which I personally have no vested interest. They are an absolute pleasure to deal with and that’s Digiweb, the broadband provider. Any department you ring, they are so friendly and so professional, every single person. They are so refreshing to deal with, you will not be waiting on the phone and you will get a straight answer. I have recommended several people I know, and they all say the same. I hope this company is never taken over by a large corporation, we need to look after authentic quality Irish businesses. This company is a champion.”
Jenny Doyle bought a toothbrush from the Galway-based Spotlight Oral Care not long ago. “The battery was due to last up to 90 days before having to recharge. Unfortunately the one I got was faulty. I contacted their customer service and the response was quick. They sent a replacement out no problem. It is the first company I have dealt with in a long time with super customer service.”
Now, keen-eyed readers will be aware that Ticketmaster sometimes features on this page and not always for the most positive of reasons but we have a different twist on the Ticketmaster story today.
“I bought tickets last September for the Rod Stewart concert that was on May 26th,” writes Mairead Lavery.
Due to illness she was unable to go. “I emailed Ticketmaster to apply for a refund and they came back to me immediately. I got full refund into my account, no hassle at all, they were so helpful online. Thank you Ticketmaster.”
That’s not a sentence we hear everyday but credit where it’s due and all that.
Olga Keogh has a rubbish story to share. The lid on her Brabantia bin broke and, rather than simply buying a new bin in a shop, she decided to contact the company.
“The bin was almost 10 years old at that stage. They sent it on for free from Austria. They cost a bit, but they last and when they do break, you get top notch replacement service.”
Top notch? That’s not top notch, that is miraculous.
“I know car insurance gets a hammering,” starts the mail from Sam Kenny.
What can we say in response to that? Guilty as charged.
“But we were hit and had our car written off in March and Liberty have been amazing. They helped get us back on the road and have done a full investigation and are claiming back the payout from the other company,” he says. “All the work was done without hassle to us at all.
“The public service gets plenty of hammering,” says Kevin Stewart. “But the online passport renewal service is fantastic. In my case 37 hours from application to receipt of the new passport. Given where they were a few short years ago it’s been an amazing turn around.”
Cathal McCauley admits he is not the best when it comes to DIY, which is why he wants to sing the praises of Cleary’s Hardware in Kilcock. “They are so patient and expert. A relative who is ‘handy’ is always impressed at how well they know their stuff. They consistently beat the DIY chain stores on price – sometimes by 20 per cent or more. Highly recommended.”
And staying with small local enterprises, Bernie Mahon got in touch to sing the praises of Project 29 in Stoneybatter – a shop Pricewatch knows well, as it happens. “It is,” Bernie says, “a fantastic gift and coffee shop that not only supports Irish craft but also the community. They are always happy to have a chat and help you find the perfect gift.”
We can’t argue with that.
Then there was the Pharmhealth pharmacy in DCU. They are not just a pharmacy, they also print posters. And Ruth McGettrick needed one for her thesis poster conference. “The machine was acting up but the guy dropped it into my house at 8:45pm on a Friday so I would have it in time to present, and it was €15, an absolute bargain.”
There was also some love for our credit unions.
“My husband’s taxi was stolen from outside our house,” writes Elaine. “And that day I ended up back in hospital with a large abscess post surgery. Trying to sort out finances and approval [for a replacement car] whilst on an IV drip was an experience the credit union made easier.”
Sheila Deegan gave a shout-out the Aviate credit union – formerly known as St Joseph’s Aviation. “It is always a pleasure to contact, to get information or to transfer money. Personal service like this is so short these days. Local Supervalu in Killester have very friendly and helpful staff, especially for older people.”
How to keep customers (happy)
While these stories range from the heartbreaking to the almost entirely irrelevant (at least in the grand scheme of things), a thread of decency runs through them all.
And if there is one thing that businesses might learn from reading the good-news stories carried here, it is the simple fact that that being sound is key when it comes to providing proper customer care.
But, of course, there is more to doing the right thing than being decent. And with that in mind, here is our 12-point, cut-out-and-keep user guide for businesses to help them get a mention on this page the next time we decide to focus on good-news stories.
1. Treating your customers well starts with treating your staff well. The people answering the phones in a call centre or working on the shop floor or otherwise dealing with people are on the front lines when it comes to customer service. If they are disempowered or ill-informed or uninterested or not encouraged to show any initiative when it comes to supporting customers who are having problems, it is going to reflect badly on your business. That is why it is essential to pay staff who are dealing with customers properly and treat them well. Make sure they are trained and always lead by example when it comes to illustrating the value of proper customer care.
2. Pay as much attention to keeping your existing customers happy as you do to acquiring new ones. Far too often businesses are obsessed with the new and forget about the loyal customers who will happily continue to pay for a product or service once they are treated well.
3. Don’t be a gouger. No one objects to companies turning a profit but consumers hate it when they are ripped off or asked to pay a price that is wildly out of whack with reality. And we are not thick and can easily find out if we are being gouged All it takes is a look at a dual-pricing sticker with euro and sterling prices to see if our friends across the water are getting a better deal. And price comparisons can be carried out in real time online on phones. And remember consumers are slow to forgive if they think you are trying to pull the wool over their eyes. And they are very quick to complain on social media or to Pricewatch.
4. If you have phone lines, would you, for heaven’s sake, answer them. Consumers are busy people and don’t love listening to hold music interspersed with messages assuring them that their call is important to you for hours on end. If you are struggling to answer all the calls you are getting, maybe ask why so many people are contacting you and then employ more people to handle those calls. It might shave a little off your massive profits but you will be better off in the long run.
5. Don’t lie or make promises you won’t keep. If you say you will call to someone’s house to fix or assess a problem, then do it. And if you can’t, give them plenty of notice that you are not going to show up. Ghosting your customers is just stupid.
6. Can you please, please, please take proper notes when consumers call you with a problem. One of the most common complaints we get from readers is that every time they make contact with a company if they have a problem, they are expected to start explaining the issue from scratch. Surely it is not beyond the capabilities of big companies to keep even rudimentary notes of calls so that if we have to call back, the person on the other end of the line will have at least some idea of what we are talking about.
7. If you have an email address, make sure someone is employed to look after it. There is absolutely no excuse for ignoring emails from customers.
8. Treat all consumers with concerns about your company seriously. When people make contact, your job – or the job of those who work for you – is to make them feel better. Empathy and efficiency are key to making people feel better. It might help if you have targets for successfully dealing with complaints and queries, and ask questions of yourself if you fail to meet those targets.
9. We know that not all problems can be resolved easily and some are more problematic than others. If someone contacts you with an issue that takes longer than you thought to resolve, just keep them in the loop. Frustration grows in an information vacuum, and if a customer thinks you have forgotten them, they will start to get angry.
10. Be better about managing the irrationally angry or misguided customers. We know they exist, but rather than being confrontational, try to talk them off the ledge of rage. Do not be rude and do not tell someone flat out that they are wrong. Be flexible and gracious
Give ground, even if you don’t have to. We know that the customer is not always right. In our experience, the customer is sometimes completely wrong. But often it is better to allow someone to exchange a product or get a refund or a discount rather than have them walking away believing you have let them down.
11. Have a bit more common sense and encourage your staff to be the same.
12. And remember it all comes back to soundness. Be sound and people will like you more, particularly where soundness is an increasingly rare and precious commodity.
