Over the years I’ve been subjected to some of the absolute worst berating at the hands of angry customers. People who have tried and tried to get something fixed but have not been satisfied. Most likely a number of techs have been out and for various reasons could not resolve their problems. Maybe it was out of their hands. Maybe they did not have the necessary skills to actually correct the issue. Maybe the problem was intermittent and never showing itself when the tech arrived. Maybe the customer was not able to describe what the problem was so it could be fixed.
It doesn’t matter really. When a customer gets to the point where they are ready to explode oddly enough, that seems to be when I would show up at their house.
Strange really.
Even stranger, is just how happy and thankful these same people get when someone finally finds and fixes their concern. It’s like night and day. The same person that had so many terrible things to say is trying to shove money in your hand as you are leaving.
That’s where the trouble begins…
Back in the olden days, we used to take the tip with a thanks, pick up a six pack and snacks to share among ourselves. We were dirty and tired and ready for a cold one. So long as you didn’t “act the fool” we could get ready for the next days work behind the office and enjoy a few beers before heading home. It was, in fact, just the way it was when I first started doing cable work. What the hell did I know. I was fresh out of the army, full of “piss and vinegar” as it were. We worked incredibly long hours as hard as possible. A little patting each other on the back for a good day of bringing cable to the masses was just the way we operated. At the time, we were bringing new service to places that never had cable most often.
So when a customer wandered out to the trucks and offered whoever was in charge a tip, they said “thank you” and stuck it in their pocket. It was usually (but not always) shared among the others working at the end of the day. Not a problem really. We didn’t make a huge amount of money and cable construction is hard and dirty work. When the original builds were done and we moved to upgrading old plant things had changed a bit. We had to be a little more careful when accepting tips because someone might say we were taking bribes to do one customer over the other. I can say that is not really true for the most part, but one bad apple can spoil things for the rest.
But still, we could go through the, “here take this, no thats ok, come on take it, well ok” routine and stick it unseen into a pocket for later perusal. Maybe enough for a lunch or two. A nice gesture.
Fast forward another decade.
These days, taking monies from customers is not merely frowned upon. It is not just improper. Many places have rules against this sort of thing. I’m not really sure why this is. I’d have to guess that it’s something to do with insurance companies, or corporate boardrooms. Doesn’t matter really. It’s “just the way it is”. That’s the important thing.
But where does that leave the suddenly happy customer. They really want to do something for the person that showed up, took some guff, and then became the hero. They do what they usually do. Pull out some greenbacks and try to shove it into someone’s hand. I’ve had people act annoyed when I told them it wasn’t necessary. I’m being well compensated for being out here. It’s just part of my job. You pay your bill, we are just doing what you pay for. Etc, etc. When people get really aggressive about it I tell them to donate it to someone that really needs it. I don’t know, nor will I speculate if they actually do, but it does seem to do the trick.
There is, however, something that customers can do. Something that, in my opinion, is better than money. Contact your cable provider and tell them what you thought of the person that did the work. It’s strange how people will pick up the phone to complain but rarely to praise. This is not limited to my chosen industry at all. It seems to be a global issue.
That little act of kindness goes a long way for the hard worker that got things back on track for you. The bosses like to hear that their field personnel are making people happy. The worker gets to beam a bit since compliments are so few and far between. Everyone wins.
From personal experience, telling the boss that someone did a good job doesn’t always work.
When I worked at a large computer company, I never received any feedback from the customers. I was fresh out of college so never thought about it; I just figured that people are more apt to complain than compliment.
It wasn’t until I left the company that I found out the truth. I learned second-hand that several dozen customers had called to say what a great job I had done in fixing a problem. I worked in a lab that tried to recreate the problem then devise a solution so we were more likely to be successful vs. the typical phone drone.
Because of office politics, these compliments were never passed on by my boss because of several reasons. One of those reasons was because I was the new guy. Apparently I was doing a “better job” than my mentor (completing more work, receiving more compliments, etc.) and because it would look bad for my mentor, the boss simply never mentioned it.
Ahhh GrassHopper, you see, it DID work. Unfortunately your boss was in need of being overthrown. Apparently you scared said boss.
I agree with you, people are much (oh so much) more likely to complain than complement. I think this is just human nature. On any given day try this.
From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed pick one person (even yourself if you like) and really listen to how many times they complain about something and how many times they praise something.
I think this little test will be very telling…
As with anything, relying on someone else to make you look good is merely a flake in the whole snowstorm. All of us must let our actions speak louder than words. By no means do I think people will get ahead faster waiting for others to say how great we are. Instead, we need to “toot our own horns” by excelling in what we choose to do.
I used to tell my guys all the time. “Do the thing that is bothering you then, and only then, bring forth your complaints.”
Whenever someone would do that I was much more likely (as a boss) to take their complaint to heart. Otherwise, I would catagorize them as a whiner.
By no means do I think people will get ahead faster waiting for others to say how great we are. Instead, we need to “toot our own horns” by excelling in what we choose to do.
I would have to agree with you on that… When I first started working at my new job I was getting loads of compliments from customers who were satisfied with the service I provided (even if I didn’t resolve the issue) - I felt proud no doubt. But after a while I started focusing more onto how I can fix the problem than making the customer feel happy.
At the end of the day, I would feel much more better about my self knowing I actually fixed something and improved MYSELF than getting a compliment from someone I’d most likely never speak to again.
You know, looking back I realize this was the real meat of what I was talking about. Just do a good job. The rest will fall into place.
Thanks for the comment. It made me realize that is why I bother doing a good job. I pat myself on the back every time I feel I’ve done a good job. Or, as I like to say,
Thanks WB