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Author Topic: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....  (Read 14698 times)

Offline RedRobin

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Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« on: July 13, 2009, 09:42:14 pm »
....

Following discussion in a thread which became very off-topic, I thought it best to start a new topic (which will doubtless meander off-topic itself in the usual human way). It's a bit of a rant as well, and a few of you here may very well feel it's aimed at you.

All of us here, whether we modify our cars or not, have contact with independent commercial companies/organisations varying from VW dealers to very specialist tuners. We each have expectations and those expectations vary among individuals.

Your individual level of expectations and how you deal with the situation when they aren't met, is key to how happy or frustrated you will feel. This applies equally to personal relationships - If you are going to have a tick box list against a potential partner you may never experience true love or happiness - You love people in spite of their human faults. Businesses are made up of people and really there is not a lot of difference except that you won't want to sleep with your hairy tuner, although you might want to with the hot girl on reception at your VW dealer.

Companies invariably recognise the importance of customer service to their business and most strive to do the best they can. Even those who, in my direct experience, I have found exceptional (JKM), don't always call me back as quickly as I might wish. Others who have over several years always been extremely helpful as suppliers (Awesome), very rarely call me back as promised. Milltek usually take ages to get back to me but the quality of their service when they do is second-to-none. TTshop are the same. People at VW Racing I need to speak to are often not available at all! These are just a few examples and the list goes on. But in all cases I don't stress myself out with high expectations - I just remain calm and chase it later. The same applies to emails - They just join a queue - Welcome to the real world. It's simply not realistic to rely on emails as being effective communication and too many people hide behind them due to their expectations of a fast reply - "Why haven't you answered my email?" they say, and then make fundamental and sweeping judgements. There is no substitute for spoken communication. Use all methods of communication and calmly and politely chase things, doing so without fancy expectations. Who are you to sit in judgement anyway? - Prepare to be judged yourself!

I've spent time at the premises of most of the companies I buy from and understand their pressures and workloads - What's the point of getting irritated by your high expectations not being met. Times are hard (so we are led to believe) and economic recession doesn't exactly encourage top heaviness in staffing levels. This in turn, even with the best will in the world, makes it more difficult for companies to meet the expectations which some customers have. Some customers are principally led by trying to milk the absolute maximum out of every single purchase and often regardless of the quality of what they are buying. As part of that attitude they often have high expectations which are totally unsympathetic to those other human beings they are dealing with.

What's more important are the actual products and services offered for purchase. Will you deny yourself the opportunity to buy something first-class just because the customer service doesn't meet your unrealistically high expectations? In an ideal world recieving both would be perfect, but, as in all relationships there's a compromise.

This doesn't excuse companies from not trying their utmost to provide better customer service and responses - It's just a reality check and a suggestion that you may get better results by being more understanding and tolerant and working with and not against people and all their human faults.

Didn't your mother teach you that you'll always get more from using honey than vinegar?

Either way, how you behave towards others is your decision, your karma, your life.

« Last Edit: July 13, 2009, 10:16:38 pm by RedRobin »


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Offline Caz

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2009, 10:04:57 pm »
Im jumping in on this thread, as am guessing it spills from another I havnt looked at yet but...

RedRobin, you hit the nail on the head and I totaly back everything said. And I do so wish that all customers thought and appreciated all said.
As I sometimes say, after dealing with such unpleasant customers, I'd love to go into their work places and kick off and see how it feels.. Some people, you can never do enough for...
".. in the process of learning the vw service trade!"


Offline SteveP

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2009, 10:20:37 pm »
Robin,

Up until today I had a lot of respect for you but I can quite clearly see you have an issue with my posts I made yesterday.

I can't understand why you feel the need to go over this again as IMHO you are doing nothing to help any of these companies you have the close relationships with.

As you know I work for one of, if not the most customer services focused companies in the UK so understand that importance of this way more than most.

The basis of your comments below is email is not an affective method of communications for these companies as their workloads don't allow them time to respond in a timely fashion. If you go back and bother to read my original posts in the example I gave I have never received a response to more than one message. This isn't a matter of going to the back of the queue this is blatant poor customer service.

Also at no point I have I remained anything other than calm, unlike a lot of people I haven't immediately posted "blah blah blah company haven't replied to my email from yesterday. The contact I referred to was from the start of June from over a two week period, hardly a fancy expectation to get even an acknowledgment of the message.

At the end of the day it is very very rare to find a company that has a product or service that can't be matched or bettered elsewhere these days so the people, like me, who feel let down by some of these companies are not the ones losing out as there are plenty of other options out there these days.

Steve

Offline pazz

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2009, 10:29:12 pm »
Everyone has different morals which they apply to life. These morals help us everyday to make decisions. The same decisions which make us individuals.

I cant personally see why you feel it is appropiate to persist in what can only be descried as moaning about this "topic".

If anything, somebody has too much time on their hands. And I dont think its VWR's head of customer service.

Offline markymark

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2009, 10:37:50 pm »
I think using the credit crunch as an excuse for poor customer service/satisfaction is pretty lame and surely it should have the opposite effect on there customer approach. I am personally feeling this credit crunch and at work our focus is 1000% customer satisfaction, as if we dont not give them what they want there are hundreds of others offering similar services and people will vote with there feet.

Offline RedRobin

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2009, 10:39:42 pm »
....

Steve,

Sorry that you are taking my words so personally. I am allowed to express my views and opinions on this site aren't I? The subject is highly relevant to most people on this site - It relates to much of what is discussed here - Sourcing and buying car components and services.

I can only assume you are taking my words so personally because I have touched a nerve.

It really isn't my mission to help any particular companies - All my points are generic and any companies named are merely used as examples which we all know. You need to step back a moment and look at what I post on this site in another light.

I'm not referring to any particular experience of poor customer service you personally may have had in starting this topic and I can't help it if you want to see it that way. Perhaps it's just that you are relating it yourself to what I have written.

You've lost respect for me? Why? Because our views may be different? Because I don't meet your expectations in some area?


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Offline RedRobin

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2009, 10:44:01 pm »

Everyone has different morals which they apply to life. These morals help us everyday to make decisions. The same decisions which make us individuals.

I cant personally see why you feel it is appropiate to persist in what can only be descried as moaning about this "topic".

If anything, somebody has too much time on their hands. And I dont think its VWR's head of customer service.


....Sorry but I'm finding your words slightly ambiguous in that I'm not sure whether you are referring to myself or not in "persist in what can only be descried as moaning about this "topic".

I'm glad to say that I do have loads of time on my hands at this stage in my life - Nothing wrong with that is there?

I very much agree with you about morals and decisions stuff :happy2:


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Offline Top Cat

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2009, 10:44:08 pm »
Robin i really have tried resisting biting onto this but i cant.

That is the biggest load of Utter bollocks i have ever heard on this forum.

Shall we start a thread where people can right out there true dealings with these couple of companies, i think it would be interesting to see if the rest of the forum found there expectations to be to high. We could make it a sticky at the top of the general section so everyday we can all see those silly fools who expected to much.  :innocent:

Honestly Robin i Like you a lot but this is becoming very tiresome.  

Offline keith

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2009, 10:47:38 pm »
I see where your coming from and you have had a great deal of thought into this and i had my 2p worth on the other post that went way of course :ashamed:.
My tuner is the same, set in ways doesn't always call me back, email 5 days later but I make allowances as in my opinion they are good at what they do compared to the ltd number of specialist tuners in Scotland but  I guess its what some people will put up with. These days some guys are spending £1k a time at these tuners so i understand how they are peed off.
We live in a Customer comes first world and customer care is rammed down our throats all the time and with modding when you see a new product for your car and you check the Co website it gives you 2 sentences and you think i need more info cos we need to know more its how we are and when they dont get back then its only natural to get miffed. I mean how many emails must Milltek get a day bearing in mind they dont just do VW's they do lots more so I would imagine the person that reads them must have a fairly boring job lol.
Anyone who read Jonnyc's new post on the twintake and went to Inters and asked Forge about it? they had barrel loads by the sound of it that to me is the best product placement yet( I am  not inferring any wrong doing by the way) Milltek again by using R/R as a test bed with the new black tips zorst and VWR with all the mounts for this that and the next thing it would be easy to think theres some benefit for you and these companies with free advertising for them and discounted parts for you.
When I first started using the forums mainly the grey one that most of us came from, certain folks were dead against GIAC saying they were the ruiner of all UK engines these were mainly Revo Fanclub members and I am sure GIAC'S business suffered from that but being the laid back guy I am  I checked all the other forums and drew my own conclusions.


Offline RedRobin

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2009, 10:53:43 pm »

I think using the credit crunch as an excuse for poor customer service/satisfaction is pretty lame and surely it should have the opposite effect on there customer approach. I am personally feeling this credit crunch and at work our focus is 1000% customer satisfaction, as if we dont not give them what they want there are hundreds of others offering similar services and people will vote with there feet.


....I agree very much that if it's used as an excuse for poor customer service, it's very lame. But actually my point was that such an excuse can nevertheless sometimes be quite genuine.

Yes, it should have the opposite effect.

Part of what I'm saying is what's the harm in being more human and sympathetic to others.

However, I think I'm right in saying that you work for a very large corporate in a cut-throat business environment and it's possibly one which actually only has customer service to offer people in differentiating itself from its competitors.

Thanks for contributing your view  :smiley: - It's appreciated.


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Offline Tarmac_Terrorist

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2009, 11:01:30 pm »
I tend to find my expectations change depending on the seriousness of the nature of my enquiry / complaint. My expectation and patience also varies depending on how busy I am too. I often find myself trying to sort out an issue car related or otherwise, which has arisen unexpectedly and trying to resolve this whilst extremely busy at work and see the issue as an interuption to my day.

Customer service is one of those things which can be debated all day but I do feel that on the whole, too many companies pay lip service to it. I also feel that companies are far too profit orientated and poor customer service is largely down to employing too few people and individuals who are not empowered to make decisions.

I can totally see and understand why people expect top quality service; I guess I am one of these people. I am more than happy to purchase goods / use a competitor who will offer me quality service over those that can't or choose not to. In the past I have had new unreliable cars requiring serious ongoing attention to address and rectify issues but excellent service from the dealer made it much less of a problem.

Companies make a strategic decision to sell their poducts or offer a service. They don't offer these any cheaper for not providing good aftersales service.





« Last Edit: July 13, 2009, 11:04:45 pm by Tarmac_Terrorist »

Offline RedRobin

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2009, 11:14:42 pm »
Robin i really have tried resisting biting onto this but i cant.

That is the biggest load of Utter bollocks i have ever heard on this forum.

Shall we start a thread where people can right out there true dealings with these couple of companies, i think it would be interesting to see if the rest of the forum found there expectations to be to high. We could make it a sticky at the top of the general section so everyday we can all see those silly fools who expected to much.  :innocent:

Honestly Robin i Like you a lot but this is becoming very tiresome. 

....I love you too, TC,  :grin: but why do you absolutely insist on thinking that this topic is referring to two particular companies rather than a broad discussion or debate on Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations as the topic's title?

Yes, it was originally inspired by all that stuff written which was off-topic in the other thread - It brought up an interesting subject. Okay, but if it's so tiresome to you, why post in it?

Hey! Come on! There's loads of threads on this site in which people are writing "utter bollox". Besides what's utter bollox for you isn't necessarily utter bollox to someone else.

:smiley:


 


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Offline RedRobin

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2009, 11:22:26 pm »

I tend to find my expectations change depending on the seriousness of the nature of my enquiry / complaint. My expectation and patience also varies depending on how busy I am too. I often find myself trying to sort out an issue car related or otherwise, which has arisen unexpectedly and trying to resolve this whilst extremely busy at work and see the issue as an interuption to my day.

Customer service is one of those things which can be debated all day but I do feel that on the whole, too many companies pay lip service to it. I also feel that companies are far too profit orientated and poor customer service is largely down to employing too few people and individuals who are not empowered to make decisions.

I can totally see and understand why people expect top quality service; I guess I am one of these people. I am more than happy to purchase goods / use a competitor who will offer me quality service over those that can't or choose not to. In the past I have had new unreliable cars requiring serious ongoing attention to address and rectify issues but excellent service from the dealer made it much less of a problem.

Companies make a strategic decision to sell their poducts or offer a service. They don't offer these any cheaper for not providing good aftersales service.


^^^^
Spot on!! :happy2: But it does sound as if you exercise a degree of tolerance and understanding.

It's definitely in the best interests of every company to achieve real customer service but even the best will have hiccups occasionally or have difficulty balancing it with sudden demand and other factors.

Sometimes one comes across a company which has first-class customer service but rubbish product - As a customer I prefer the other way around if I had to make a choice.


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Offline Top Cat

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2009, 11:33:06 pm »

....I love you too, TC,  :grin: but why do you absolutely insist on thinking that this topic is referring to two particular companies rather than a broad discussion or debate on Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations as the topic's title?

 

You just carry on Robin Its all good  :evilgrin:


Offline VC

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Re: Customer Service, Relationships, and Expectations....
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2009, 11:34:13 pm »
a thread like this is never going to be pretty  :ashamed: