By Tim Miles
Prior to last week, I’ve known my mom to cry only three times: at the funeral of each of her parents and on February 13, 2010 – the day she realized she’d been putting up with my dad for 50 years.
I kid!
Seriously, though – mom’s not a crier. She’s kind, hard-working, helpful, thoughtful, volunteers at a local food pantry, reads books, cooks and gardens. She is not technically savvy. She does not cry.
Last week, Best Buy made my mom cry.
Is it any wonder reports of their slow demise litter the inter webs?
Okay, technically the corporation didn’t make my mom cry. Trish did.
Just like Papa John’s racial troubles over the weekend, it wasn’t the fault of the entire company. In both cases, one rude idiot launched 1000 words (or more in Papa John’s case … 406 in mine).
Trish – in the Geek Squad – at the Champaign, Illinois location. I’m not redacting her last name to be polite. I just don’t know it. If I did, I’d include it, along with her home phone, address, social security number, PIN #, blood type and known allergies.
After years of good customer service with Geek Squad – and a very pleasant and apologetic follow-up from someone else after Poopyhead Trish brought my mom to tears – it only took one bad experience for mom to tell me and for me to tell you.
Appropriately, I’m delivering a talk on Tuesday to one of my client’s company meetings about what it takes to perform legendary customer service.
Guess what little anecdote I’m starting with to put them in the right frame of mind?
But, what my client may not yet know, is that legendary customer service has a whole lot more to do with the employer than the employees.
As Roy used to say, “A fish stinks from the head down.”
So, I’m devoting the next two weeks to customer service.
Day by day, I’m going to reveal the presentation sections – the stuff I’m including in the talk I’m giving Tuesday. A week from Friday – January 20th – I’ll make a video of the presentation available. If time permits, I’ll make up an eBook, too.
I’ll start by asking you who you think provides exemplary customer service? I asked my friends on Facebook, and I’ll share their answers tomorrow.
And I’ll finish by saying: Trish? if I find out where you live, I’m putting spiders in your air vents and snakes in your bed.
