Customer care - really??

As a customer - are we really cared for by these "specialists" who have only your best interest in mind? I don't think so. The bottom line directive of any for profit company is to make money. The best way to do this is to keep the customer happy - yes - but i'm thinking this is quickly becoming a lost virtue. Customer service - real customer service is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Recently, within the last year, I got a new "Smart phone". The reviews I read were pretty good and the advertising was amazing. I was pretty excited about getting it. So I did. I have had nothing but trouble with it since I got it. Now one would think that if I had problems with it I should have returned it when I received it. Well - hindsight is always 20/20 and yes - looking back on this now I should have done just that. However - after seeing that some of the apps weren't working I called my carrier (the same one I bought the phone from) and at first they were trying to be extremely helpful. Navigating me through the map of smartphone streetsigns and explaining to me much of the smartphone lingo. But guess what - nothing was really "fixed". Some of the apps still don't work and now the phone will freeze on occassion. So I contacted my carrier whom I will not mention however I can definitely tell you this "V" is not for victory! Guess what I was told. "Remove the battery from your phone while it is still on. Wait for about 10 seconds and then replace the battery. Then power up your phone again and this should take care of your problem." So I did. It didn't. I called back and guess what I was told - the same thing. I explained that I had already done this. So I was informed that I had to call the customer care people back on a different phone so they could navigate me through possible solutions. My smartphone is my only phone. What to do?? I could call from work on lunch break I guess. This is my project for tomorrow. But I got to thinking about this whole situation. When I had just bought the phone the customer care team was only too happy to help me out. But now that the "return time" I had to return the phone has expired there is a different song in the air. That is one of "screw you customer - you're stuck with this now". I was online tonight looking at different phones I could possibly change to but guess what..........I was told that I would have to pay full price if I change phones. Can you believe it?? I want to get rid of a phone that is less than par and again - "screw you customer."

Cell phone companies aren't the only ones - have you been to the grocery store lately? Or any store for that matter. You've got uninterested teen agers who don't really care at the checkout lines talking amongst themselves without paying attention to the customers. Have you ever noticed this - when they're talking with each other they are bubbly and energetic talking about where they're going after work, or where they went last night, yada yada yada - but when it comes time to tell you how much your bill is or to ask you to sign in the box their demeanor becomes like a zombie, their voice gets quiet and they look at the belt where the groceries once were. And this is the kicker - their "have a nice day" might just as well be "ok - you've got your groceries - now get the hell out." I'm telling you - unbelieveable.

Have you been shopping at a department store lately? I've got some major chains near me, Macy's and JC Penney's. And I looooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee to do this experiment. I will go to those stores during my work day. I wear a shirt and tie to work. I will be looking at dress shirts, suits, cologne, or leather jackets. I can't tell you how many employees ask me if I need assistance. It's almost annoying. I will go home, change into either jeans or sweats, ball cap, etc and go back to the store. I will look at the same items - and not one person will ask me if I need assistance. In fact they will watch me to make sure I don't steal anything! Ya gotta love that!! Where is customer service?

These companies - especially in these tough economic times - really need to step up their game! If they want to survive they've got to care about you and me! Take a look at Circuit City - the huge electronics company that just went under last year. You want to know why they went under?? It's because they didn't take care of their customers. They turned small problems into big ones. Their managers didn't really care how the staff acted. It was awful. People stopped buying at the stores because it was a horrible experience. Retailers - take a lesson!!

Now, not all companies, stores, businesses are like that. There are some out there who get it. I'm not talking about companies who advertise how green their company is, or how they advertise they are giving back to this charity or that charity (which isn't a bad thing but its still a marketing scheme) - i'm talking about those companies who, day in and day out, really do strive to give their customers the best experience possible. One such company is the airline Virgin America. I dicovered this airline 2 years ago when I had to go to LA for a conference. I had flown on many airlines before Virgin America (United, Delta, USAirways, Continental, and all the subsidiaries) so I thought I might as well give these guys a try. Am I glad I did! From the moment I arrived at the gate for check in to the time I got off the plane this company made me feel like I was their most important client. That is why I am once again flying with Virgin America. I have to go back to LA this spring for a wedding and my first thought when it came to travel was Virgin America. Flying from New York I definitely have a huge choice of airlines. And yes, there were cheaper flights. And yes it's a 2 hour trip for me to get to JFK in NYC to catch my flight. And yes, there are closer airports to me HOWEVER - because of the true customer care I got with Virgin America before I don't mind the 2 hour trip to NYC, or even paying a little more for this flight because I know I will be taken care of.

I hear the same is true with Southwest Airlines. I haven't had the opportunity to fly with them. Perhaps if I am going somewhere that Virgin America doesn't and Southwest does then I will get a chance to try them out.

Let's send these other companies a message! People do have the power and it's found in their wallets. I don't care if you've got only 1 dollar or 1 million dollars - the people possess those dollars and where they choose to use them will control the company's fortunes. Make them listen to us - make them care about us!!

I'm so riled up now I think i'm going to travel down to their corporate offices and lodge a complaint!!!!....................................Oh wait - my VZ Navigator app doesn't work and my carrier won't fix it - I guess i'll have to write a letter instead.