One of the many perks of being a human resources professional is all of the training and certifications you can receive. Learning and development is one of my favorite categories underneath the HR umbrella (L&D and recruiting at the top, benefits administration and employee relations at the very bottom), and I have been fortunate to be certified as a customer service and help desk coach (two certifications; AchieveGlobal and STI Knowledge). Leading these courses is a lot of fun, not just teaching a room full of eager minds, but also to share facts.
Did you know only one out of three people who receive poor service ever complain? As soon as I learned that, I began speaking up every time I had a bad service experience. Companies want to retain their customers and they will go to great lengths to apologize, even to provide free gifts and coupons. I can't tell you how many discounts, free meals and cups of coffee I have earned along the way. Along the same line, I am infamous for leaving small or no tips to restaurant wait staff that don't give me the time of day. A habit that causes many of my friends to hang their heads low. Hey, if I want bad service and bad food, I can stay home and cook for myself. Now, that's bad.
But, even fewer customers commend the good service received. Tonight, I had such an experience.
A Comcast technician arrived at our new apartment on Monday morning to set up our internet service, but failed to make sure our laptops were actually connected. (We've been "borrowing" from the neighbor's Wi-Fi.) Tonight, I was on the phone with a Comcast customer service representative by the name of Edgar, for at least half an hour. I could tell he was still in training, and receiving coaching from an anonymous mentor in the background. That said, Edgar was patient with me. Additionally, he was courteous, conversational, thorough, said "please" and "thank you," and did not make me feel technically-deficient (which I am). In summary, Edgar is a professional. At the end of our call, I asked to speak with his supervisor, to whom I applauded Edgar's efforts (even though we had to schedule for the technician to visit our home, again).
As it turns out, because I spoke highly of his customer service skills, Edgar will receive Comcast service points (something of a reward for Comcast employees) and a positive boost in his 90 day review. I hope he goes home with a smile on his face, and a skip in his step.
The next time you receive good service, take a moment to commend the person. Leave them with a smile and a sense of pride.