Backin’ It Up With Customer Service and Care

Throughout my life, whether in college or in my professional career, I have always worked with clients. I enjoy speaking with people who are interested in what my company or institution can offer them and usually, by the time they get to me, they are already on board and are looking for answers and assistance.

Whether lifeguarding, waitressing, working at an RV park in Fairbanks, Alaska, a JCrew store, or now, as a SEO project manager, I have always enjoyed working with people as they choose their dinner, business suit, or keywords for a SEO project.

As a lifelong customer care junkie, I have always felt it important to represent my company to the best of my ability and create strong relationships with my clients. I also feel personally responsible for these relationships and in addition to making a good impression for my employer, I also want to create business relationships that are open, honest, and professional.

Because I have strong feelings about customer care and the importance of taking care of customers and clients, even after they have handed their money over, I felt compelled to write my post about backing up products and services with customer care.

This urge was also spurred a few weeks ago when speaking with my best friend about the trouble she was having getting her iPod replaced/properly fixed. See my friend is a dedicated runner and without her iPod to help her through the miles, she just isn’t a happy girl.

I asked Amy what happened when she called Apple and, long story short, she was put on hold for close to a half an hour, finally spoke to a representative, and was sent a replacement iPod… that was also partially broken (one of the earpieces doesn’t work). She tried calling them again and after sitting on hold for close to 30 minutes again, hung up. Amy isn’t asking for a better product than she normally had, or even a brand new one. She just wants a product that works – like the one she bought less than a year ago.

She is discouraged now and frankly, I believe that Apple lost a customer. This is what I mean by “backin’ it up with customer service”. Even with companies who sell nice, useful, enjoyable, fun, etc. products, the whole deal can be blown with poor customer care… or hours and hours of listening to The Black Eyed Peas through your right ear only.