Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

Pros

• I've had the same agent for the entire time


• The rates seem pretty reasonable and I get multi-discounts, including a customer loyalty discount


• They update my account to add new products to my policy that they think I need


• When I call with a question, I usually speak to my agent or someone in his office in a reasonable amount of time


• I get my bills in a reasonable amount of time and they usually appear accurate

Cons

• I never hear from my agent unless I call him


• No one calls me annually to review my policy to make sure I am getting the best coverage for my money


• They add these new products, but never explain why I need them


• I sometimes have to call back more than once to get a return call


• When there is a rate increase, there is no explanation as to why

As you can see from my list, I was not getting a customer experience; I was just getting the service I was paying for. So, with this list in hand and a recommendation from someone close to me, I decided to shop around after all.

I contacted a company that claimed they could save me a significant amount of money and, most important, provide me with better service. I was immediately impressed that the agent called on a Saturday at the time he said he would. I was equally impressed that although I did not have all the information he needed to give me an accurate quote, he was willing to do the leg work to get that information on his own, so that I wouldn't have to search for it. We were off to a good start; I thought I had finally found the customer experience I was looking for.

It didn't take long for that good start to quickly fizzle into a bad customer experience.

First, I was incorrectly billed, and when I called they said it was a computer error and there was nothing they could do about it. (Call me crazy, but doesn't a human enter that information into the computer?)

Second, they never took accountability for their mistake. Blaming their corporate office, the agent, and their billing system was all I heard when I called the company about the problem. For the record, as an advocate for exceptional customer service I took the liberty to educate the customer service person that "There's nothing we can do," is not an appropriate response to a customer complaint.

Finally, feeling completely frustrated, I contacted the general manager, who actually took responsibility for the error. Most important, he followed up and followed through until the situation was resolved. It's amazing to me that when management gets involved the blame game stops.

This lesson has taught me that cheaper is not always better, and that the experience of how you are treated and valued before the sale is equally important after the sale.

What are you doing to make sure you are giving your customers a great experience?

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Patricia L. Jackson is founder and president of Xpect Results. Read more about her take on customer experience in "Inside the Ritz-Carlton's Revolutionary Service."