Comments on: Bad Customer Service – Learning from the Big Boys http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/ Practical tips and advice for running a successful website! Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:30:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan Harrison http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Dan Harrison Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:04:38 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-18 Hi Darren I completely understand about poor service as you know. Sadly, these big companies are too blind to learn lessons unless they're lucky enough to have someone in their senior management who actually cares about customers. Some statistic I read states that its 10 times more difficult to get a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer! I left a high street bank very recently. Terrible service, and they lost my life savings for 6 weeks with no explanation. And they still can't work out why I'm leaving them! Sadly that was one of about 5 issues I had with them. I've had enough now. That bank is Alliance and Leicester. Strangely, am also with Abbey and they're excellent. Both are run by Santander. Go figure! Dan Hi Darren

I completely understand about poor service as you know. Sadly, these big companies are too blind to learn lessons unless they’re lucky enough to have someone in their senior management who actually cares about customers.

Some statistic I read states that its 10 times more difficult to get a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer!

I left a high street bank very recently. Terrible service, and they lost my life savings for 6 weeks with no explanation. And they still can’t work out why I’m leaving them! Sadly that was one of about 5 issues I had with them. I’ve had enough now. That bank is Alliance and Leicester. Strangely, am also with Abbey and they’re excellent. Both are run by Santander. Go figure!

Dan

]]> By: Darren Singleton http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Darren Singleton Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:44:42 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-17 Hi Dan, I myself had an awful customer service experience recently. In the end it worked out OK, but companies really do need to get a grip of what is happening. Long time customers should be a large companies most valuable asset as people don't actually want to keep changing providers and won't do unless something is seriously wrong with the service. I actually wrote my latest blog post about my experience. http://www.darrensingleton.com/my-customer-service-experience Hi Dan,

I myself had an awful customer service experience recently. In the end it worked out OK, but companies really do need to get a grip of what is happening. Long time customers should be a large companies most valuable asset as people don’t actually want to keep changing providers and won’t do unless something is seriously wrong with the service.

I actually wrote my latest blog post about my experience.
http://www.darrensingleton.com/my-customer-service-experience

]]> By: Dan Harrison http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Dan Harrison Tue, 26 May 2009 14:11:35 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-16 Hi Annlynn I believe that MFI in the UK actually went out of business as a result of bad customer service. They were not fulfilling orders despite taking money. Or they were shipping only part of an order, then not sending the rest of the order, and then the parts were discontinued. There was a big thing on UK TV on Watchdog I seem to remember. Ultimately, if a business has bad customer service, it's likely they have other issues too. Those reasons together will lead to failure. Dan Hi Annlynn

I believe that MFI in the UK actually went out of business as a result of bad customer service. They were not fulfilling orders despite taking money. Or they were shipping only part of an order, then not sending the rest of the order, and then the parts were discontinued. There was a big thing on UK TV on Watchdog I seem to remember.

Ultimately, if a business has bad customer service, it’s likely they have other issues too. Those reasons together will lead to failure.

Dan

]]> By: annlynn smith http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-15 annlynn smith Sun, 24 May 2009 23:31:25 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-15 Hello, I'm wondering, do you know of any companies that have gone out of business due to bad customer service? Or companies out of business, and bad customer service contributed to the down fall? Hello,

I’m wondering, do you know of any companies that have gone out of business due to bad customer service? Or companies out of business, and bad customer service contributed to the down fall?

]]> By: Dan Harrison http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Dan Harrison Thu, 21 May 2009 07:54:55 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-14 I completely agree Krishna, you need to manage expectations, otherwise the customer will be disappointed before you do anything! Dan I completely agree Krishna, you need to manage expectations, otherwise the customer will be disappointed before you do anything!

Dan

]]> By: Krishna http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Krishna Wed, 20 May 2009 21:02:38 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-13 Customer usually looks at the Customer Service offering as a right to own and sometimes expects way too much than what the company might even promise. Hence, it is very important for the customer and the companies to make sure the customer understands the Service Policy completely. And ofcourse, as Charles mentioned above, Customer Feedback is definitely a free (rather say paid by customer to us by buying and testing our product) consultation for Business Improvement. Customer usually looks at the Customer Service offering as a right to own and sometimes expects way too much than what the company might even promise. Hence, it is very important for the customer and the companies to make sure the customer understands the Service Policy completely. And ofcourse, as Charles mentioned above, Customer Feedback is definitely a free (rather say paid by customer to us by buying and testing our product) consultation for Business Improvement.

]]> By: Dan Harrison http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Dan Harrison Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:22:19 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-12 That's a very good point Charles, and one I completely forgot about! I've added your point to the article. Dan That’s a very good point Charles, and one I completely forgot about! I’ve added your point to the article.

Dan

]]> By: Charles @ PiggyBankPie.com http://www.runningawebsite.com/bad-customer-service-learning-from-the-big-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Charles @ PiggyBankPie.com Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:43:57 +0000 http://www.danharrison.co.uk/?p=58#comment-11 Hi Dan - good advice. It's easy to see complaints as hassle but you've got to always remember that those people that complain are actually doing you a massive favour in pointing out the flaws in your site or customer service. Research also shows that customers that complain and have their complaints resolved actually end up being more satisfied (and therefore tell more people) than customers who received a good service all the way along. So there's a good incentive there for companies to resolve problems and therefore benefit through more positive word of mouth. Hi Dan – good advice. It’s easy to see complaints as hassle but you’ve got to always remember that those people that complain are actually doing you a massive favour in pointing out the flaws in your site or customer service.

Research also shows that customers that complain and have their complaints resolved actually end up being more satisfied (and therefore tell more people) than customers who received a good service all the way along. So there’s a good incentive there for companies to resolve problems and therefore benefit through more positive word of mouth.

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