March 11, 2009

• We Shall Overcome

  I had to call amazon.com tonight about a problem with an order.  If you’ve ever tried calling them, they’re not an easy company to get a hold of.  They don’t like talking to people.  If you’re ever looking for a number for a company like that, www.contacthelp.com is a good resource:

  

  I was able to get what I wanted from amazon, by using the old “I have a blog…” speech.  Though my rhetoric lacks the dulcet tones of Martin Luther King, it usually gets me what I want.  Coincidentally, Dan sent me the following article tonight.  This is what I’ve been saying all along to the companies I write customer services blogs about, and I’m glad someone is finally noticing!  Keep up the good fight people.  You can almost always get what you want, as I’ve proven time and time again. 
  

  Harnessing the Power of the Oh-So-Social Web

  By Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li

  Download article PDF

  People are connecting with one another in increasing numbers, thanks to blogs, social networking sites like MySpace and countless communities across the Web. Some companies are learning to turn this growing groundswell to their advantage.

  Companies are used to being in control. They typically design products, services and marketing messages based on their own particular view of what people want. Keeping up with customers has meant conducting research on their needs and test marketing new products and services. Because the balance of power has favored large corporations with a lock on manufacturing, advertising, distribution and other operations, the term “customercentric” was mostly just a buzzword.

  Now, though, many customers are no longer cooperating. Empowered by online social technologies such as blogs, social networking sites like MySpace, user-generated content sites like YouTube and countless communities across the Web, customers are now connecting with and drawing power from one other. They’re defining their own perspective on companies and brands, a view that’s often at odds with the image a company wants to project. This groundswell of people using technologies to get the things they need from one another, rather than from companies, is now tilting the balance of power from company to customer.

  To understand the dramatic implications of this shift, consider what happened in 2006 when Brian Finkelstein, a law student, was having trouble with the cable modem in his home. A repairman from Comcast Cable Communications Inc. arrived to fix the problem, but when the technician had to call the home office for a key piece of information, he was put on hold for so long that he fell asleep on Finkelstein’s couch. Outraged and frustrated, Finkelstein made a video of the sleeping technician and posted it on YouTube. The clip became a hit, with more than one million viewings, and to this day the image continues to undermine Comcast’s attempts to improve its reputation for customer service.

  Comcast is not alone. Another popular YouTube clip contains dialogue between a customer trying to cancel his subscription and America Online. What should have been a simple conversation becomes a battle as the AOL service representative stubbornly persists in trying to retain the customer,  sorely trying his patience. Finally, the customer says, “I don’t know how to make this any clearer for you: Cancel the account. When I say ‘cancel the
  account,’ I don’t mean help me figure out how to keep it. I mean cancel the account.” Apparently, the clip struck a nerve as hundreds of people posted comments on the YouTube page, many of them bashing AOL and relaying similar experiences with the company. CNBC even devoted a report to the whole flap.  Read More…
  

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  As you may remember, I’ve had some similar experiences.  Ones where people lost their jobs and ones that made the AOL call look short.  I really need to start a customer service blog that’s just devoted to my railing against corporate America and their greed.  It would feature some of my favorite rants against, Honda, British Airways,  eFax, Safeco, Farmer’s Insurance, Aetna, Dell, United Airlines, Facebook, my Homeowner’s Association, my mortgage company or even Xanga.  Until then though, I’ll just keep writing about them here, and smiling when people take note!  Power to the people….we shall overcome!

  Of course, I like to blog about when I (or my friends) receive good Customer Service too, as Bine did last week from Emirates Airways when her camera got stolen from her luggage in Bangladesh:

  Carey Anthony

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  Carey, you should be proud of me
  1 message
  

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  From: Bine	Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 8:01 AM
  To: Carey Anthony
  well, the camera got stolen but I complained and now at least I got upgraded to business…this should make the flight back much more comfortable :)) see, I am following your footsteps. —– Weitergeleitete Mail —- Von: Faria Islam An: Bine CC: Rafiqul Islam – FAM – Bangladesh; Hanif Zakaria – Mgr Bangladesh Gesendet: Donnerstag, den 5. März 2009, 18:57:54 Uhr Betreff: EKDAC/082/09 Dear Mrs. Sibler, Thank you for your email to my colleague Mr. Rafiqul Islam dated 03 March 2009, advising us of the baggage incident you encountered when you travelled with Emirates. We are concerned to learn that you discovered your digital camera missing from your bag at arrivals hall on February 28, 2009. Please note that all baggage related items are to be registered immediately at the Arrivals Hall before leaving the Customs area as this enables our baggage staffs to assess the extent of the claims in details. Nevertheless, we wish to assure you that Emirates takes such incidents seriously and copy of your letter was sent to our Security department in Dhaka for their attention. Nevertheless, as a gesture of goodwill, we have upgraded you to Business Class all the way to Munich. Thank you for contacting us and for giving us the opportunity to respond. We hope this unfortunate incident has not marred your impression of Emirates and that we will be given another opportunity to demonstrate our service commitment. Thank you Faria Islam Customer Affairs Executive Customer Services Tel: 008802 9885572

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  Speaking of crappy companies, have you heard about Sony’s latest offering?

  Warning: Contains Offensive Language!

  • 2:57 am
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