Customer NO service

                                                     Trina EMERGES with a new do

                                                                   By Trina Boice

                                                               www.boicebox.com

Has that lady on your car’s navigator ever completely lost her mind?  Mine did last night as I was trying to find the Emerge Salon and Day Spa for my first hair appointment.  When I realized I was definitely heading in the wrong direction, I finally called the salon and asked for directions.  Turns out that one of the co-owners answered the phone and stayed with me on the line the whole time.  As I got closer, he walked outside and personally flagged me down, directing me into the parking lot.  I was impressed.

Let me contrast that warm welcome with one I had yesterday with an eye doctor’s office whose unrevealed name shall protect them from their disgraceful service.  I arrived 10 minutes late and was told I would have to reschedule because my tardiness was unacceptable to them.   Their receptionist made me feel like some kind of delinquent in elementary school caught by the hall Nazi, rather than a valued customer. I would have been a new client for them, but I will most definitely NOT be returning.  They obviously don’t care about acquiring new customers.   (I promise that arriving late 2 days in a row for 2 appointments really isn’t like me!)

Emerge Salon and Day Spa, however, is doing all of the right things to earn a great reputation in Las Vegas.    They’ll be celebrating their 1 year anniversary in November, a hard-earned feat in this tricky economy, with a fan base that’s growing quickly.  They are not only happy to get new customers, but actually willing to do the work to earn repeat business.   This salon knows the difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal one.  I mean really...would you want your spouse to be satisfied or loyal?  

 

If you don’t live in Las Vegas, what does all of this mean to you?  Vote for your local businesses with your dollars.   Tell others about them.  And when you’re not happy with a store or company, tell them why.  After I calmed down, I called that eye doctor’s office the next day and politely explained to them why I will NOT be rescheduling my appointment with them.

The squeaky wheel does get the grease first, but mind your manners while you’re squeaking and you’ll fare much better.  The hilarious and helpful Benjamin Dover suggests “Don’t just whine, define!”  Decide what it is you want from the company (money, apology, replacement, etc) as well as what course of action you’re willing to pursue (a few phone calls or a full-scale lawsuit).

Michael Finney is ABC’s Emmy Award-winning consumer reporter who helps the average Joe fight for his rights.  His seven steps to winning every consumer argument are:

      1.  Respect yourself enough to go after what is right

2. Know what you want before complaining (be realistic!) 
3. Be flexible and ready to negotiate
4. Give everyone a chance to do the right thing
5. Don’t respond in anger
6. Take the high road by talking about what is moral, not just what is legal.
7. Be ready to do battle.  Fighting for your consumer rights can be time-consuming and emotionally draining.

When you’re not satisfied, don’t be a crazy person!  If you come across as reasonable and in control then you have a better chance of being treated fairly than if you’re screaming and irrational. 

Once you’re completely fed up with a company and ready to write a letter of complaint, be sure to address it to a specific person; otherwise, your letter will end up buried or trashed.  Be concise.  If you write a gigantic letter about your life’s history you’re just going to annoy and confuse the reader, often to the point that they’ll just toss your letter into their corporate black hole and hope someone else wants to deal with it.

Create a paper trail and document dates of phone calls, emails, faxes, and especially names.  Sending certified mail lets a company know you’re serious and possibly creating a paper trail for a lawsuit so you should get some reaction out of them.

And now a few fun freebies to bring a smile to your face:

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Have a great week!

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty    (a/k/a Trina Boice)