Customer Service-Customer Intelligence

A warm hello,

I am going to put it right out there...I am pretty cranked up and frustrated about something. When I got home last night, I checked the mail and there was another mailing addressed to my deceased husband. Now, it has been 4 and 1/2 years since he's passed, all the announcements went out as appropriate, post office notified, every piece of mail that has had his name on it, I've physically written "deceased, please remove from mailing list." Now, I am going to hunt down a leader in this particular organization (that is sending this direct marketing letter) and educate them, let them know the negative impact it is having on me and direct them to stop sending him mail.

In today's world, where service is becoming more and more obsolete and the need for greater customer service and customer experience more important than ever (as customers become more price conscious), why would companies not take the time to take important customer information or customer intelligence, update their records and find a way to recover from their mishaps? It is interesting, this particular piece of mail (that I've received with my husbands name on several times) is regarding children's life insurance. As you may have read on previous blogs, I am a big proponent of life insurance (especially after what I've experienced) and have taken it to heart to ensure my son will be provided for if anything were to happen to me. Now, I may have seriously considered this children's life insurance offer, but why would I entertain conducting business with any company that cannot take the necessary steps to recover after a customer mishap. Mistakes happen, no problem and they can be fixed. Mistakes that happen, and are not fixed, a big problem. Companies and businesses lose. What companies and businesses today want to lose customers and potential sales? Obviously, there are quite a few. hmmm...how much better our economy could be if more attention was paid to us the customer?

Yesterday, I attended a phenomenal seminar with John DiJulius of the DiJulius Group. http://www.thedijuliusgroup.com/. The seminar was entitled "What's the Secret to Providing a World Class Customer Experience". John has written two best selling books on customer service, and he is passionate about this topic. In my life and career, providing an extraordinary service experience for my co-workers, team, customers and clients has always been top of mind. So, as I continue to do my best to provide service it is also important to speak up when I don't and educate companies when they've made a mistake. It is perhaps the only way they'll have an opportunity to "do right".

So, if you are in business and service is important to you and your company, I recommend visiting the http://www.thedijuliusgroup.com/ for some great resources that may assist and support you. If you are a consumer/customer and get great service--woohoo--celebrate and thank them. If you get poor service, or you too find yourself still getting mail with your husband's name on it and it bothers you at all, let them know. I'm surprised it has taken me this long to pick up the phone. Going to the seminar yesterday, just put me back in touch with--it just isn't okay any more to accept these kind of mistakes especially when I've made attempts to give them the customer information and intelligence to fix it.

Well, I've got a phone call to make. Wish me luck!

Warmly,

Colleen