Most of us, I suspect, have had a week we’d prefer relegating to our mental recycle bin. But every now and then, we have a week that is truly remarkable. I recently had such a week that soundly confirmed my contention that customer service is rebounding and doing so in large leaps!
Permit me to illustrate how a series of interactions with various companies in a one-week span left me energized and enthused.
Early in the week, I noticed my OnStar subscription was expiring after one year of free service on my new Chevy Impala. (Yes, living in Michigan means we buy American-built cars.)
When contacted by the OnStar representative, I indicated there was some uncertainty on my part about renewing the service. On the other hand, the ‘OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation System? had bailed me out on numerous occasions when we became disoriented while driving into unfamiliar areas, so I was reluctant to be on my own without it.
The sales representative assumed I needed more time to cogitate on the renewal, so he offered me three free months which will carry me through the summer. That’s when we do much of our driving, anyway. So, no need to renew until the end of July. It will also give me ample time to use the many minutes still remaining on the in-car phone.
I then received a call from AT&T. Seems that because we have a landline phone, cable TV and wireless for our computer, all from AT&T, we qualified for a $15 reduction on our landline phone.
Normally one has to discover these discounts on their own, so I found it interesting AT&T initiated the call. The polite young lady also offered us a free cell phone if we switched to AT&T from Verizon, but the cancellation fee of $75 deterred me from doing so. Maybe AT&T will pay for that also, and I will certainly make mention of that when the rep calls again. In any event, the deal on the landline phone just meant more money in our pockets and the week had just begun.
We then called AT&T U-Verse to discuss why one of our TV channels had been eliminated. Seems we have had an HBO comedy channel since we subscribed to AT&T cable and, for whatever reason, it was provided in error. In order to compensate us for losing a channel we were not supposed to have in the first place, AT&T stated that they would give us all the HBO channels for free for three months. When the rep noticed my wireless speed could be accelerated, he gave us three months of a speedier package for free. He then topped it off by offering to send us a check for $40, which we received days later.
Last week it was also time to purchase a new pair of running shoes, so we went to our favorite shop in Lake Orion ? Hansons Running Shop. The clerk noticed I was a frequent buyer of running shoes over the last three years. He took $35 off the purchase of a $100 pair of shoes and also gave me a coupon for $25 off the next pair. I asked him if the new shoes would guarantee my winning all my races. Unfortunately, they would not. And once again, the company initiated the discussion of a discount ? something completely unexpected.
A trip to K-Mart to make a purchase gave us our next windfall. A container of hair spray marked $3.40 rang up as $3.90. Well, you know the drill ? Michigan law states that if the marked price differs from the register price the customer receives the difference (in this case .50 cents) along with another $5. Thus, we walked out of K-Mart with the hairspray and $5.50 in our pocket. I think you can almost picture all the money bulging in my wallet and the coins jingling in my pocket.
A frequent diner’s club coupon at Uno’s Chicago Pizza gave us a free meal, as did a similar coupon at Andiamo’s Italian Restaurant. It sure pays to belong to all those frequent diner clubs. Most of the clubs recognize your birthday by e-mailing discount coupons.
And to wrap up the week, we bought a Shark Floor Steaming machine at Kohl’s that had been reduced by $20 ? along with a $10 coupon we had received in the mail. It was almost as if they were buying it for us. And since the purchase was over $50, we received a coupon for $10 on our next purchase.
What with the weak economy and companies looking for ways to attract and retain customers, it came as no surprise to me that customer service has been ratcheted up significantly. All the interactions we had with store personnel either in person or on the phone was topnotch, professional and extremely helpful. It was a far cry from what may have been occurring years ago when the economy was booming. Back then was a seller’s market, but now the tables have turned. Companies and store personnel are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Each positive experience we have with a merchant solidifies our relationship with that company. In the case of OnStar, it is highly likely that when the three months expires, I will seriously consider renewing my contract. Of course, I will be returning to Hansons Running shop because of the $25 coupon I received. And if AT&T really wants me as a cell phone customer, I suspect that we will come to some agreement on my cancellation fee from Verizon. All in all, these companies are looking for ways to shore up their customer base and frankly, I think they are doing an exceptional job.They certainly have gotten my attention.
So, as you can see, it was a week to revel in. Now I’m going to check my Lotto ticket. With the luck we have been having lately, my next column for The Lake Orion Review might just be written from Bali!
Bill Kalmar is a LO resident and the former director of Michigan Quality Council.