CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (Part-2)

Four Real Stories

I explained in an earlier post that how much it is important to achieve customer satisfaction and how to achieve it in detail. Also, I assured some interesting stories related to it in my next post. Here, you can find customer satisfaction stories . However, if you did not read the earlier post (Part-1) then please read it first.

No feedback is silly

The complaint is related to misbehaving of a machine with a female operator. One of the service engineers of a reputed laboratory instrument MNC found it ridiculous when he got a complaint from one of the female operators about misbehaving of the instrument. She was the only female operator and others are male in three shifts of the pathology department of a reputed hospital. She told, ‘I feel shy to say this as it sounds too silly but it is a fact. Whenever I open the door, the rotor comes to stationary states as usual so that I can take vials out. However, when I put my hand inside to take the positive or negative vials the rotor starts moving again preventing me from taking the vials out. It happens most of the time with me but it has never happened with other guys’. The engineer ignored it with a smile that the machine has no diversity issue he had ever heard.

However, as it was really a chronic issue and the gullible operator was desperate to find the solution. One day she called the service manager and stated the fact. The service manager understood the gravity of the matter, discussed with the engineer and thought that some interesting matter should be there which needs better observation and cannot be ignored. So he went to the laboratory with the engineer when the lady operator was on duty. He suggested the engineer to open the door and take out vials several times. He did the same for himself too. Surprisingly the machine did not misbehave with him but the lady intermittently.

Finally, in short, he discovered that the bangle, made of iron and may have some magnetic property, in her right hand triggering the read-relay which passes the signal to the microprocessor whether the door is closed or open. When she puts her hand inside after opening the door, the read-relay triggers once more, signalling the processor that the door is closed and the rotor starts moving.

He suggested that the operator operate with her left hand and resolve the issue once and for all. Not silly but science! It is not a story but a reality I faced as a service manager.

Subjective  

It was surprising to all when a customer satisfaction survey among car users revealed that the expected best manufacturer & service provider scored low while a relatively dull one scored highest. It was a concern too for the organisation that conducted the survey. So before they release the risky report, they dove deep into a few opinion reports and found surprising results which helped them to improve the quality of their report and suggestions.

One user of the lower segment stated that he had a problem with starting of his car within a couple of weeks after buying his new car. He had to turn the key twice or thrice to start. So, after observing this for a few days, he called the service station of the manufacturer. They suggested bringing the car to their centre. He drove it to the service station and they rectified the problem within a few hours of his waiting. So he was happy and had given very high marks.

Too expensive, top of the models premier brand user commented adversely for some kind of issue. He had to turn the key twice one day only after 9 months of purchasing the car. On his one phone call, the company sent a technician to the parking lot in his office. The technician checked, did something and assured him that he would not have the same issue again. It never happened again. But he is unhappy because such a premier & expensive car should not have such problems even for once within several years of purchase. So he has given low marks to give the proper message to the company.

I feel the message is clear to all of us.

Sweet Satisfaction

One day I went to a pathology lab of a highly reputed large hospital. The doctor told me a man waiting for me outside. Doctor called the man in his chembar. The person gave me a sweet box and thanked me for the help. I was clueless and asked him what for all these? The doctor explained that his daughter had been cured because of a timely diagnosis of the sub-type blood cancer. It happened as you repaired the machine out of the way, when she was in a very critical stage. He came to thank me with this sweet box but I told him that the credit goes to you. The first and last time I accepted a gift from anyone related to my profession, a box of sweets.

I could see the level of satisfaction in the face of the doctor who was our customer but after a certain level of mutual support, a customer becomes a friend or wellwisher. Which is beyond ‘satisfied’ or ‘delighted’ level.

Passion 

Story of a car salesman. He sold the highest number of cars as an individual for more than two decades doing the same job and placing his name in the Guinness book of records. He was an employee of the director level but liked to stand at the gate of the biggest showroom of Chevrolet. He was inviting customers from there, convincing and selling the car with equal passion. But the interesting & unique thing is that the customers were getting a handwritten letter within a few days of purchasing the car from his daughter which says ‘thank you for purchasing a car from my daddy’. Also, he was arranging get-togethers of his all customers a regular intervals to get candid feedback and suggestions.

People think that he used to write the letters himself in the name of his daughter. However, it does not matter much when it pleases someone and says ‘we care’. The name of the salesman is Joe Girard who won almost all records as a salesman in the automobile industry. An ideal example of passion, developing relations and getting feedback to deliver satisfaction.

It is not important how much we believe or do not believe these stories. But all these stories have some underlining message which can help service providers to deal with the customers in a smarter way. Good quality products can attract customers but quality support will make it drool-worthy and that is what we all look for in this arduous game.

Few lines were encouraging me which I kept in the wall of my cabin and was trying to follow when I was regional and later National service manager. Check these below –
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
“Indecision is the worst decision.”
“Service delayed is service denied.”

However, all of these are easy to accept, difficult to deliver and tough to maintain. Hard work, empathy, sincerity and quality of a person can help him/her to be an expert service pr