Readers of this blog are well aware of my frustrations and criticisms and even a soupcon of anger regarding the disappearance of customer service in our society. This unfortunate reality is undeniable and is only going to worsen. Corporations and businesses – with few exceptions – abuse their customers because they can, knowing that we have no recourse available. Do you think the battle of Man vs Airline Industry, for example, which I fantasize over, will achieve a just outcome?
Two recent developments are relevant to this rant. First, businesses are poised to start
charging a fee to customers who are returning unwanted items. And secondly, Amazon Prime will soon be
showing commercials during their broadcasts.
Of course, for a surcharge, customers can still enjoy Amazon streaming
without ads. Let me distill this down
using plain language.
We are going to further squeeze our already squeezed
customers because we can and you have nowhere else to go. Moreover, our market researchers assure us
that our revenue gain will easily outweigh any loss of our customer base.
I have Amazon Prime, which is a higher-end product than
conventional Amazon, hence the designation Prime. For most of us, the adjective prime indicates
a higher level of service but clearly Amazon has devalued this category. Perhaps, the prime product should be renamed Amazon
Basic. I wonder if the company plans
to now lower the service of standard Amazon.
Perhaps, their basic streaming product will now be all commercials and
if you want to watch an actual show or a movie you will have to pay extra for
this! The airlines have mastered this strategy. If you can't raise the service level in one of their tiers, then you can affect the same outcome by lowering the service of lower tier levels. Get it? The reason Economy Plus seems acceptable is because ordinary Economy is so awful.
As a physician, providing customer service is an integral
function of my job. I do my best to give
my patients the personal attention that they deserve. In the course of a week, I receive dozens of
phone calls and electronic communications, many of which I respond to
personally and promptly. Yes, my staff does assist in this effort when it is
appropriate to do so. The electronic
medical record has increased the volume of patient queries as patients now have
a convenient portal to use, which they do liberally.
I know that many of my medical colleagues take this
responsibility as seriously as I do. And
there are a few companies such as The Apple Store, where customers
feel valued and appreciated. If a business or an individual accepts that
excellent customer service is part of the product or service, then they will earn brand
loyalty, respect and appreciation. If,
however, the mission is bottom line driven and you view customer service as an
obstacle to economic performance and efficiency, then you will have angry and
frustrated customers. While you may be
getting away with it for now, you are lowering business standards and quality
of life for all of us. Is this a legacy to be proud of?
If you want to discuss this further, please give me a call. You will hear a personalized greeting I have prepared especially for you.
Your call is important to us. Please listen
carefully because our options have changed…
While I don't disagree with you generally, I also think companies with outstanding customer service really shine in this environment. A couple bright stars I have interacted with recently are Warby Parker and Landing. Anyone else have positive experiences to share?
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