Some service experiences are unforgettable, for better or for worse.
Several years ago on a hot summer morning in July, I approached the front door to a southern Massachusetts moving franchise with a sense of optimism and a neatly folded reservation in hand. After all, my wife and I were only moving approximately 25 miles away; what could possibly go wrong? Even if they didn’t have the exact truck that I had reserved, we’d be able to roll with the punches. Here’s how things unfolded once I walked into the rental location:
- 9:40am – Check-in at customer service desk: I’m greeted by a friendly agent who explains to me that while they do not have the truck that I had reserved, they can offer a larger truck. Ok, fine.
- 10:00am – Pre-departure inspection: The agent assists with a brief inspection focusing on damage that had already occurred to the vehicle (there is plenty of damage).
- 10:10am – Departure from rental location: I start driving away in a truck that does not have a single working gauge, the driver’s side door will not close and there’s a very persistent quivering of the steering wheel. I use the seat belt to tie the driver’s side door closed.
- 1:30pm – Attempt to leave with fully loaded rental truck: I turn the key only to hear total silence. The truck does not start. After extended phone handoffs between customer service reps, they dispatch a repairman. We wait and wait.
- 4:00pm – Repaired truck departs for apartment we are moving to: Way behind schedule but happy to be moving, we drive to the new apartment.
- 7:00pm – Truck is returned to avoid late charges: Complaints about the truck’s condition and breakdown are completely ignored. The agent refers me to a manager who works limited hours.
So where did things go wrong? Three categories jump to my attention:
- Expectation setting: Clearly, it would have been nice to know that I would be driving a vehicle that posed serious risks to my safety. Apart from that glaring omission, I was also uninformed about breakdown procedures, gas fill-up policies, and mileage restrictions. It did not help that the gas gauge, odometer, speedometer, and all other gauges were broken.
- Handoffs: When calling the moving company for support for a vehicle that would not start, I was passed off to a number of different service agents. I needed to recount my location and restate the problem to each of these agents separately, wasting valuable time.
- Problem resolution: When I returned to the moving center, the agent at the customer service desk brushed off my complaints about the truck’s condition and the breakdown. “I don’t actually work for ‘XYZ Moving’,” she stated in a brusque tone, wearing a collared shirt with the company’s logo clearly displayed. She referred to the manager who was available on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. Since I was returning the truck on a Saturday, this meant it would be three full days until I would be able to speak with the manager. Simply stated, there was a total lack of accountability.
My service experience was an extreme example that highlights breakdowns at nearly every step in the service delivery process. I believe that it all starts with on-boarding customers properly and setting clear expectations. In my experience, on-boarding is a critical customer touch point that is often overlooked.
At EMC, we’ve spent a considerable amount of time during the past few months to fill gaps in the on-boarding process, specifically for our Personalized Support Services. We’ve developed detailed welcome kits for our Designated Support Engineer and Technical Account Manager programs and an account plan for our Strategic Account Manager program. The welcome kits and account plans serve to set the most accurate expectations with our customers so they know who to call and when.
These resources also provide clear details on information needed by service technicians (i.e. error logs, current releases, severity level). For the customer that craves an added layer of information, the welcome kits and account plans outline microcode support procedures, installation and upgrade guidelines and graphical examples of service call flows.
So, how did my rental truck experience end? Well, after several attempts I finally spoke with the manager and he agreed to reduce the charges. A nice effort, but was it too little, too late?
In the spirit of Net Promoter, I will never use the company again or recommend them to anyone, putting them safely into the “detractor” category. Even worse, I don’t get the sense that this company will do anything differently despite hearing my feedback.
Are there any other “unique” service experiences out there?
“The opinions expressed here are my personal opinions. Content published here is not read or approved in advance by EMC and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of EMC nor does it constitute any official communication of EMC.”
