Customer Service

Imagine if a client comes in to receive an HIV test from me and they are frantic and emotional. Pretend they know absolutely nothing about sexually transmitted diseases and want to get the right information. Now picture that I just had a rough day and just want to stop working and go home. If I put myself at the center of attention and forget that this client really needs my help, then the client will leave feeling worse than when they first walked in. With or without a test, they may still feel helpless and uninformed. I must keep in mind that this career path as an HIV Counselor is my choice. So what I choose to do reflects on the people I serve. Hence, this is why I expect the same attention when I am the client/customer. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Let me share with you a few examples of when people need to search for a new profession.

You just had your annual physical exam and felt everything went like clockwork. Same as last year and the year before until of course, you get a call. So there you are at home, rushing out the door when the phone rings. You miss the call, but the answering machine’s blaring out the following confidential information to a household of people, “This is so and so from the (fill in the blank) clinic. (Your name) must call to schedule a (procedure you’ve never heard of) ASAP. It is very important. Thank you.”

Obviously, this alarms you so you call back expecting assistance, but instead you get, “Please hold.” Then wait, wait some more, (15-minutes pass) and the line goes dead. Hmmm… You call back, but before you could say anything the same representative states, “Please hold.” So what do you do? You hold. And hold…and hold some more. You hear a beep, assuming you got transferred to someone useful only to hear another beep and another unsuccessful transfer attempt to a generic voicemail. So you leave a voicemail and call back hoping to speak to a live person. Once you do, they get frustrated with you for even calling back, which ironically is what they asked you to do in the first place in the message, right? So you get the run-around and apparently nobody knows who called you and for that matter, what they were calling you about. In fact, none of the staff seem to know anything at all. So you think you made an appointment and finally get off the phone only to find out that the appointment was never scheduled and the procedure is still unknown.

Inhale. Exhale. So you go to a restaurant to unwind…

You decide to start off with dessert because after such a mess with the medical staff you want to treat yourself to something sweet. The place has a few people, but a manageable crowd to say the least. No waitress/waiter greets you so you wait (again) patiently. Finally after 10-minutes, one spots you in front of a bare table and figures you may need something. Without even a hello, they pull out their pad of paper and say, “Well?” So you order your slice of cake, coffee and water. They respond, “That’s all?” Hmmm… 10-minutes later, they come back with luke-warm water and cold coffee. 10-minutes pass and finally your pastry arrives with the bill. Imagine you were hungry and wanted to order more, but you can’t now because you’re apparently done. So you wait to see if at least you could get a fresh cup of coffee or at least some cream. After forever, you give up and get up to find the manager who happens to be on the phone and only cares to ring you up. You tell them that you are upset over the service or lack thereof from your waitress. They respond, “Well next time tell your server.”

There will be NO next time.

Now just to end your horrific customer service week you decide to call two call centers conveniently located in India and in the Philippines. You can’t understand them. They don't understand you. Both situations lead you to escalate the call to a supervisor. Both supervisors state 3 things like a broken record:
1. I’m sorry.
2. I don’t believe you.
3. I can’t help you.

I am what most would call a “Customer from Hell.” Meaning, I often get my way. Why? Well, why not? I have been on the other end before dealing with people’s problems on a daily basis, trying my best to accommodate their requests no matter how ridiculous. I have been through several jobs in which customer service was the main priority, following the infamous policy, “The Customer is ALWAYS right.” Reversing fees here, offering free incentives there, and taking insult after insult so they could vent out their frustrations on a company I simply work for and don’t necessarily agree with or even like. Why? Because they can and because that was what I was paid to do. Lucky me. From retail to call centers, I have been through it all. So when the tables are turned and it is my turn to receive service, guess what I expect? Yes, I am sympathetic to the people on the other end that must do what it takes to please me…But no, I do not care as to what lengths they have to go through because that is their job. I wish others would remind themselves everyday why they do the job they do and how what they do effects the people they care for no matter how minuscule the task.

The lesson learned is to keep your sanity and do the following:
1. Don’t forget to breathe.
2. Don’t forget you are the customer.
3. Don’t forget to get your way.