This morning I seriously considered taking out health insurance, even though I have never had a serious injury or complaint (apart from my 21st birthday, I guess).
I left my local GP this morning, with no clue as to whether I had to show up early, or book in advance, to see a doctor or nurse. I was told that I could either come back at 2pm (which wasn’t possible), or to make an appointment for next week at the earliest, to see someone about a very annoying and rather serious issue (but not an emergency).
This small incident reminded me of a very important policy that I live by, and one that I think anyone with an ounce of self-respect ought to adopt:
Never reward bad customer service.
I’m usually the kind of person whom, if they have a bad experience with a particular provider or company, chooses to take their business elsewhere. I take it to the extent of going out of my way to avoid certain shops or companies, and only using them if I’m absolutely forced to.
For me, the quality of customer service is about three things, in order of importance:
The first thing is how the staff of a company – even if I’m dealing with someone directly – treats their customers. And I’m not just talking about myself, but how they treat other people. Are they in the least bit interested about their well-being, or do they just want to make a sale? You’ll be able to tell within a couple of minutes if they see you as a [potential] valuable customer or not.
I bought a new fish tank a couple of weeks ago, for example. The person who sold me that tank was absolutely shit at customer service. However, I have had a number of prior good experiences with that same shop, albeit with other staff members, and they have proven very useful numerous times. Had it been my first purchase from the store – and with such a high-ticket item as well – I would never have returned.
The second thing is value for money. Value for money – in my book, doesn’t necessarily mean the lowest-priced.
One of my original quotes goes something like this:
The cheapest isn’t always the least expensive.
I’ve had numerous experiences where I’ve bought items solely on price, only to find that they were a waste of money, so I ended up buying a more expensive replacement. It would have been cheaper to go with the higher-priced item in the first place.
Although I am sometimes focused on the price tag, what really matters to me is that I get the most value from what I purchase. I would rather pay £90 for a jacket that lasts two years, than a £30 jacket that falls apart after a week, or a £200 jacket from a designer label.
The third and by far most important – and most overlooked – thing is after-sale treatment.
There are a lot of companies and people who are only interested in making a quick sale, and they will scam, lie, cheat, steal and trick you in the process. It’s usually very obvious when you’re dealing with someone who just wants to sell, because they use all kinds of high-pressure, and even manipulative techniques (such as NLP).
Sometimes it’s not obvious until you hand over your cash or sign the contract. I remember joining a local gym several years ago, and the staff member in question was very friendly and helpful – until the moment where I signed up, where I became just another number, without so much as a goodbye.
Good customer service – in my book anyway – has a lot to do with what happens after making a purchase. Sometimes things can go wrong with the product or service you’ve bought, and it’s very important that they handle your enquiries in the best way possible. As Don Hutson suggested once, when it’s your money it’s their responsibility.
I could count on two hands the number of people/companies I’ve dealt with, who I would come back to for future business, because of their after-sales service. I could also spend a while listing those whom I would never go back to, even if it meant sacrificing my career (such as the Dixons/DSG companies).
On the whole, I wasn’t impressed with the couldn’t-give-a-shit attitude of the receptionist, and I won’t be making a visit to that GP any time soon, if I can help it. In the end I self-medicated with the help of Boots, and the problem seems to be resolving itself just fine.
Who have you been dealing with that has provided less-than-acceptable service, and do they deserve your repeat business?
Tags: Appointment, Bad Customer Service, Bad Experience, bullshit, disappointment, Experiences, Gp, Health Insurance, Important Policy, Insurance, money, Money Value, Perspective, Self Respect, service, Shit, Staff Members