The Award for Outstanding Customer Commitment goes to WOW Cable.
We have been customers of WOW for 5 years. We have had consistent service and could not be happier. During last week's storms we lost our service - the phone, the cable and the internet. I called them on Thursday evening about 6 pm and I spoke with a wonder phone rep, who was helpful and arranged for a service tech to come the next day - with a 20 minute call ahead. They could not give me more narrow time frame than 8 am to 6 pm - since they were working me in. Not a problem, I really had nothing going on on Friday.
The 30 minute call ahead came - and it was a live person. She was very professional and nice and told me the service tech was on his way and she thanked me for choosing WOW. I was shocked it was a real person. Pleased mind you - but shocked.
The tech came and he investigated the problem and it took him some time to figure it all out and he was oh so good natured at having E follow him around the yard with me. E was very interested in the goings on and was even showing the tech around our basement.
It took no time at all and the tech stayed until I was sure the tv, phone and internet was working once again.
So since I gave an award for very poor customer service - I feel like I should be balanced and praise those who are doing a good job, providing outstanding service and actually running a customer centered business.
Perhaps it is because WOW is not the only game in town - which could very well be a part of the process OR it could be that the CEO of WOW - actually gets it - the customers are the reason they are in business!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
And the Award goes to
Columbia Gas - for easily hands down the absolute worse customer service on the planet. While they may say this about themselves:
Sure when I turn on the oven or the furnace it is working and directly so because of the product I am purchasing from you - but SERVICE - CUSTOMER SERVICE is also part of the equation and I gotta tell ya Jack - in that arena - you fall very short from the mark.
Even though you are the only game in town - there is absolutely no reason to flaunt that fact and treat your customers in a shabby manner. There is value in service and humility. There is value in acknowledging that your customers are very busy people with lives and that as a service to your customers you will leverage technology and the very least be polite.
I will now share with you two examples of your complete failing to be a forward thinking customer focused organization. It is your choice - be the only game in town and KNOW that your customers would rather get struck repeatedly by a semi truck than deal with your Company OR Be the only game in town and BE SEEN AS A TRUSTED PARTNER. Sadly I gotta tell you - YOU ARE Light YEARS AWAY FROM THE LATTER!
I volunteer for my church and we own a rental house. It needs an automated meter reading device. This makes our life easier and YOUR life easier. (Ah, once again the opportunity to partner! Which your company fails miserably at by the way.) I arrange payment for the device, I attempt to set up a time to have it installed. The house is vacant. An all day window is not doable for me - as I have family responsibilities and a LIFE, Jack, so I ask for a call ahead. Begrudgingly I am told they will call me 30 minutes ahead.
Because of a bad traffic accident I miss the first appointment. I tried to call and let the service tech know this - but I was told by customer service - "Too Bad - I would have to reschedule." I did so. They claimed to A) not know who was going to be at the house and B) nor could they contact anyone via phone or otherwise.
Next time around. Again the call comes, I drag my daughter, who is ill and my sleepy toddler across town - only to sit at the property for over an hour and no tech arrives. I call. I get told too bad so sad not our problem and hung up on. (I am paraphrasing but let me just say helping me was not this woman's job apparently.) I call again and get a very nice young lady - who tried to find the tech via dispatch. She tries and it does not seem to work and well I needed to be at the doctors at this point and so I bagged it.
So let's review some random facts:
It is 2008. Everyone - including my 11 year old neighbor has a cell phone. How hard would it be to issue all service techs - a 2 way cell or something - so that they may be contacted at a moments notice. MMMM. Not hard I should think. AEP does it. WOW Cable does it. Sears appliance repair does it. If the techs have phones or radio - everyone should be able to stay in touch. You should be able as CEO and the BIG GUY IN CHARGE - reach out to anyone in the field at any time!
You have a very poor automated phone service that calls when they are on their way - WOW cable - has a live person - who thanked me for my business when they called today to say the tech was on his way. MMMM - seems like a touch point and an opportunity to service me well.
After my 2 horrible experiences with your company - and the lack of service I request a supervisor - and well she was young and sweet and totally not helpful. Not interested in my feedback in the least.
I fail to see why we cannot schedule service in 2 hour windows and I understand that if there is an emergency I will get bumped - but I deserve a phone call. I am the paying customer - I DESERVE service. I DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. A dog generally even politely sniffs the fire hydrant before it takes care of business - YOUR company - yeah not so much.
Let me ask you JACK how you would feel being in a restaurant, and the server can come and take your order between the hours of 8am and 6 pm or they can fail to show up at all or they can tell you they will be there in 30 minutes and well 4 hours later they finally arrive. I would image that you would not be satisfied with this level of service. Nor should you be.
How about at the doctors - you show up at 8 am and wait in the little room all day - only to be told by a Medical Assistant that the doctor was called away to an emergency and well you will have to reschedule and be prepared to waste another day, she is very sorry but that is the way it is. I think the doctor would loose alot of patients.
But you Jack do not have those worries as a businessman, now do you? No as the only game in town, you feel you can mistreat those who butter your bread. My thought is that plan may work for a time - but in the end - bad business always fails.
My challenge to you - is to give this some thought. My brother and his roommate still have no gas in their apartment after 10 days. I plan to be there on the 2nd of July - the earliest time apparently in your Company's very busy social schedule - in which you can provide them service - to wait on a tech. My hope is they show up - an even better touch - maybe you can show up and we can have coffee. As a professional writer - I am good with words and well I have a few more choice ones for you - all constructive mind you. I only want to see that YOU take a step forward.
I do so hope Jack that you will come to see that - there is the right way to run a business and there is the wrong way. It is as easy choice - if one truly values their customers.
All the Best to You!
Thoughts from the Edge
Columbia Gas of Ohio Background
Columbia Gas of Ohio, headquartered in Columbus, is an investor-owned public utility that sells natural gas and provides gas transportation services to customers in Ohio. The company serves 1.3 million of Ohio's approximately three million natural gas customers. Columbia is the state's largest natural gas utility, serving more than 1,000 communities in 64 of Ohio's 88 counties with a service territory covering approximately 25,400 square miles. The primary Ohio metropolitan areas served include Columbus, Toledo, Parma, Mansfield and Springfield.
I say they are failing miserably. They have positively horrible customer commitment - on a service level. While I know many people complain - I have actual and factual proof to back it up.
This post then is an open letter to Combulia Gas's President Jack Partridge.
Dear Jack,
Sure when I turn on the oven or the furnace it is working and directly so because of the product I am purchasing from you - but SERVICE - CUSTOMER SERVICE is also part of the equation and I gotta tell ya Jack - in that arena - you fall very short from the mark.
Even though you are the only game in town - there is absolutely no reason to flaunt that fact and treat your customers in a shabby manner. There is value in service and humility. There is value in acknowledging that your customers are very busy people with lives and that as a service to your customers you will leverage technology and the very least be polite.
I will now share with you two examples of your complete failing to be a forward thinking customer focused organization. It is your choice - be the only game in town and KNOW that your customers would rather get struck repeatedly by a semi truck than deal with your Company OR Be the only game in town and BE SEEN AS A TRUSTED PARTNER. Sadly I gotta tell you - YOU ARE Light YEARS AWAY FROM THE LATTER!
I volunteer for my church and we own a rental house. It needs an automated meter reading device. This makes our life easier and YOUR life easier. (Ah, once again the opportunity to partner! Which your company fails miserably at by the way.) I arrange payment for the device, I attempt to set up a time to have it installed. The house is vacant. An all day window is not doable for me - as I have family responsibilities and a LIFE, Jack, so I ask for a call ahead. Begrudgingly I am told they will call me 30 minutes ahead.
Because of a bad traffic accident I miss the first appointment. I tried to call and let the service tech know this - but I was told by customer service - "Too Bad - I would have to reschedule." I did so. They claimed to A) not know who was going to be at the house and B) nor could they contact anyone via phone or otherwise.
Next time around. Again the call comes, I drag my daughter, who is ill and my sleepy toddler across town - only to sit at the property for over an hour and no tech arrives. I call. I get told too bad so sad not our problem and hung up on. (I am paraphrasing but let me just say helping me was not this woman's job apparently.) I call again and get a very nice young lady - who tried to find the tech via dispatch. She tries and it does not seem to work and well I needed to be at the doctors at this point and so I bagged it.
So let's review some random facts:
It is 2008. Everyone - including my 11 year old neighbor has a cell phone. How hard would it be to issue all service techs - a 2 way cell or something - so that they may be contacted at a moments notice. MMMM. Not hard I should think. AEP does it. WOW Cable does it. Sears appliance repair does it. If the techs have phones or radio - everyone should be able to stay in touch. You should be able as CEO and the BIG GUY IN CHARGE - reach out to anyone in the field at any time!
You have a very poor automated phone service that calls when they are on their way - WOW cable - has a live person - who thanked me for my business when they called today to say the tech was on his way. MMMM - seems like a touch point and an opportunity to service me well.
After my 2 horrible experiences with your company - and the lack of service I request a supervisor - and well she was young and sweet and totally not helpful. Not interested in my feedback in the least.
I fail to see why we cannot schedule service in 2 hour windows and I understand that if there is an emergency I will get bumped - but I deserve a phone call. I am the paying customer - I DESERVE service. I DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. A dog generally even politely sniffs the fire hydrant before it takes care of business - YOUR company - yeah not so much.
Let me ask you JACK how you would feel being in a restaurant, and the server can come and take your order between the hours of 8am and 6 pm or they can fail to show up at all or they can tell you they will be there in 30 minutes and well 4 hours later they finally arrive. I would image that you would not be satisfied with this level of service. Nor should you be.
How about at the doctors - you show up at 8 am and wait in the little room all day - only to be told by a Medical Assistant that the doctor was called away to an emergency and well you will have to reschedule and be prepared to waste another day, she is very sorry but that is the way it is. I think the doctor would loose alot of patients.
But you Jack do not have those worries as a businessman, now do you? No as the only game in town, you feel you can mistreat those who butter your bread. My thought is that plan may work for a time - but in the end - bad business always fails.
My challenge to you - is to give this some thought. My brother and his roommate still have no gas in their apartment after 10 days. I plan to be there on the 2nd of July - the earliest time apparently in your Company's very busy social schedule - in which you can provide them service - to wait on a tech. My hope is they show up - an even better touch - maybe you can show up and we can have coffee. As a professional writer - I am good with words and well I have a few more choice ones for you - all constructive mind you. I only want to see that YOU take a step forward.
I do so hope Jack that you will come to see that - there is the right way to run a business and there is the wrong way. It is as easy choice - if one truly values their customers.
All the Best to You!
Thoughts from the Edge
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
George Carlon
I first saw this in college! I not only think he is very brainy and witty and as a cultural satirist - dead on! I totally agree with this bit!
It is still here....
You know you have been blogging for awhile, when you forget if you have covered a topic already or not and frankly I am not going back thru all my blogs to see if I have or not.
My mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when L was a newborn. She had a thryiodectomy and then a 2 courses of radioactive iodine (which makes her glow in the dark - well not really but she is radioactive for a bit of time.) Then she went on synthetic thyroid hormone maintenance meds and that is supposed to be it.
Two years ago before she had surgery to correct some deterioration of her 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae, the pre op x-rays detected some spots in her lungs. Then came the MRI and then the PET scan.After she recovered from the surgery - she once again did some radioactive iodine. (After many many tests and lengthy doctor visits and some turf waring....)
Well the day glow cocktail did not work - and we are faced with not only did it not kill off the tissues first discovered - yeah well there is more, which has come to join the party. This is not the news we were hoping for in the least. The cancer cells are in the area of the body where the wind pipe splits and the bronchial tubes branch off into the lungs. Surgery is not an option and it is not the best place to have extra tissue and cells laying around - clogging up the works.
So we are off to a super specialist at OSU Medical Center. The correct direction is forward but sometimes I just want to throw things at who ever thinks this is a good idea. I happen to think my mother has been thru enough and has control of her blood pressure and her diabetes and is entitled to some peace and quiet as she nears retirement. She is entitled to relaxing with her grandbabies.
But we all know life is not fair! Not in the least and the challenges presented to us can be met with a panic attack or with grace! I am praying for grace! It is baby steps and the next big step is figuring out where to park at OSU when we go see the specialist!
My mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when L was a newborn. She had a thryiodectomy and then a 2 courses of radioactive iodine (which makes her glow in the dark - well not really but she is radioactive for a bit of time.) Then she went on synthetic thyroid hormone maintenance meds and that is supposed to be it.
Two years ago before she had surgery to correct some deterioration of her 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae, the pre op x-rays detected some spots in her lungs. Then came the MRI and then the PET scan.After she recovered from the surgery - she once again did some radioactive iodine. (After many many tests and lengthy doctor visits and some turf waring....)
Well the day glow cocktail did not work - and we are faced with not only did it not kill off the tissues first discovered - yeah well there is more, which has come to join the party. This is not the news we were hoping for in the least. The cancer cells are in the area of the body where the wind pipe splits and the bronchial tubes branch off into the lungs. Surgery is not an option and it is not the best place to have extra tissue and cells laying around - clogging up the works.
So we are off to a super specialist at OSU Medical Center. The correct direction is forward but sometimes I just want to throw things at who ever thinks this is a good idea. I happen to think my mother has been thru enough and has control of her blood pressure and her diabetes and is entitled to some peace and quiet as she nears retirement. She is entitled to relaxing with her grandbabies.
But we all know life is not fair! Not in the least and the challenges presented to us can be met with a panic attack or with grace! I am praying for grace! It is baby steps and the next big step is figuring out where to park at OSU when we go see the specialist!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
If it is broken - why not just fix it?
A friend sent me this joke:
First off - I think it is very funny and on the other hand - sadly all too true! In a previous post I suggested we need to do something radical. There is no reason that we need to stick with the same old same old - there is no law, no rule and if there is - then I say we throw it out and start something new. THE CURRENT TWO PARTY SYSTEM IS BROKEN! It is not working. It is like a bad marriage crying out for divorce or some serious and in depth counseling. The constant in fighting and all is counter productive and WASTE of everyone's time.
Isn't it sad that in the world larges democracy - it is once again a choice of not who is the best for the job - but the lesser of two evils at worst and at best the only one willing to stick it out. I happen to like aspects of both McCain and Obama - but by the end of the 5 month campaign of in fighting and finger pointing and media circus - I will want to hang myself more than cast my vote.
This is my rallying cry - Can the spin and sit down and DO SOMETHING DAMN IT! We have real problems and NO ONE CURRENTLY IN POWER is doing anything - other than finger pointing or shoving their head up their ass!
We need a 3rd party or a 4th and we need someone to final admit out loud - that the system is broken and needs fixed. It worked during the horse and buggy era but we are in the modern age and we need to shake it up and get with the program!
Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Mc Cain were flying to a debate.
Barack looked at Hillary, Chuckled and said, 'You know I could throw a $1,000 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy.'
Hillary shrugged her shoulders and replied, 'I could throw ten $100 bills out of the window and make ten people very happy.'
John added, 'That being the case, I could throw one hundred $10 bills out of the window and make a hundred people very happy.'
Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his copilot, 'Such big-shots back there. I could throw all three of them out of the window and make 156 million people very happy.'
I'm voting for the Pilot.
First off - I think it is very funny and on the other hand - sadly all too true! In a previous post I suggested we need to do something radical. There is no reason that we need to stick with the same old same old - there is no law, no rule and if there is - then I say we throw it out and start something new. THE CURRENT TWO PARTY SYSTEM IS BROKEN! It is not working. It is like a bad marriage crying out for divorce or some serious and in depth counseling. The constant in fighting and all is counter productive and WASTE of everyone's time.
Isn't it sad that in the world larges democracy - it is once again a choice of not who is the best for the job - but the lesser of two evils at worst and at best the only one willing to stick it out. I happen to like aspects of both McCain and Obama - but by the end of the 5 month campaign of in fighting and finger pointing and media circus - I will want to hang myself more than cast my vote.
This is my rallying cry - Can the spin and sit down and DO SOMETHING DAMN IT! We have real problems and NO ONE CURRENTLY IN POWER is doing anything - other than finger pointing or shoving their head up their ass!
We need a 3rd party or a 4th and we need someone to final admit out loud - that the system is broken and needs fixed. It worked during the horse and buggy era but we are in the modern age and we need to shake it up and get with the program!
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