Holistic Business

This is a bit of a rant.

Customer service in retail establishments has withered away to where it is almost non-existant. Or at least where I live it has.

I’m not even talking about the large mega-stores. I’m noticing it at the small local gas station and liquor store. I was out running errands the other day and realized that I, as the customer, was the one saying “Thank You” after being handed my change and receipt.

This is just wrong. I have even been pretty sure that times this has happened it’s been the owner.

It really hit home when I received a handwritten thank you note in the mail from another Virtual Assistant, Vickie Turley. I had spent some time on the phone with Vickie as we were comparing notes and likes and dislikes with various auto-responders and shopping cart software we work with. I consider Vickie a friend (I know the feeling is mutual!) - and she sent me a thank you! Now - that’s class!

I know it’s not worth getting myself all stressed over, but I might try saying “You’re Welcome” instead and see how THAT goes over.

Technorati Tags: Customer service, Thank You, Virtual Assistant, auto-responders, shopping cart

I shake my head an awful lot thinking, “it must be me”.

My 17-year old stepdaughter lost her cell phone. Most likely in the Newark International Airport. Yea, right - gone. Called and had the number shut off - no big deal. Maybe it will turn up in her bags . . .

Ten days later upon her return, off we go to the cell phone store. Well, she’s had a phone for a few years and is really, really careful - so last upgrade I did not go for the insurance. Ouch! Unless you are signing up for a new service agreement, the phones start around $200. Ouch!

Well, the young man waiting on us was looking at the account and noticed the phone that my 14-year old stepson has is insured.

Get this - he tells me to call the insurance department, hands me a card with their number on it, and report the insured phone missing. Then for just $50 they’ll send me a replacement.

WHAT??? But that’s not the phone that is lost. His reply - oh, don’t worry about it - people do it all the time.

Well, if that’s true it’s a crying shame. My mother’s voice actually played in my head at one point asking if everyone was jumping off a bridge would I do it too?

So, we had a discussion about ethics, honesty, and integrity and I hope the kids got something out of it. I explained that I didn’t really care if I was one in one thousand people who wouldn’t do that. It was not a matter of “getting caught” either. I’ll be the first one to complain about feeling as though I’m getting ripped off right and left (and I’m really pissed at Cingular right now for blocking calls to free conferencing numbers) but that still does not make it right in my book.

Is it me? Am I odd? Would you have done it?

P.S. We ended up finding someone selling the same model phone she lost on eBay for $50 and all ended well.

Technorati Tags: ethics, honesty, integrity

I’m in the process of going through my myriad of newsletters I subscribe to.

I have to admit, it’s gotten out of hand and I can’t keep up with them all.

So, I decided to whittle them down a bit.

Now, to unsubscribe, there is usually a nice little link and you just have to click on it, get redirected to a Web page, and confirm. Usually, then you get a confirmation page that you have been unsubscribed.

Well, one I just unsubscribed to made me jump through the following hoops:I clicked on the link and went to a Web page.

1. I had to TELL them my email address (so I had to go look because I have so many and don’t always remember which one I use for what reason)
2. I had to click on submit
3. I got a message saying I would get an email asking me to confirm that I wanted to unsubscribe (I thought I just did that)
4. I went to my email and again, visited their link and said *YES* I really DO want to unsubscribe
5. THEN - I got another email saying OK, now you have been unsubscribed.

Geez, leave me alone already. I had 2 emails to delete just due to unsubscribing!

I took at look at what auto-responder system they use and I had never heard of them, but will remember the name now.

So, some advice, before you sign up with an auto-responder, check into what their process is for unsubscribing.

Believe me, if I ever come across their newsletter sign up again and start to reconsider, I’ll remember this and stop myself.