Service operation: Comments

Comment on " Amtrak"

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:16:47 -0500

I think it's important for customers to realize what the service providers are going through when they have to deal with many unhappy customers for something that's beyond their control, but it's also important for them to realize that, because of the position they are in, they will have to deal with unhappy customers for something that is beyond their control and be able to deal with it in a polite and professional manner.

- JENNIFER CHRISTINE PIAZZA

Comment on "Giving the customer the wrong impression."

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:07:45 -0500

You say “I think that it's a reasonable item to have (especially considering the food that is served in that cafeteria!)” That was my main point; they are sending the message that the food is bad. But you are right when people want them they don’t want to search. I think they should have them by the register (there is a lot of room) but not have it centralized and in a location that is used to sell an item. Rather there should be chocolates (dessert) and put the Rolaids back a little and not have them stand out so much.

- RENEE MARIE BALLIET

Comment on "Giving the customer the wrong impression."

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:15:41 -0500

Just to play devil's advocate for a second - where would you suggest the hospital cafeteria place the Rolaids? I think that it's a reasonable item to have (especially considering the food that is served in that cafeteria!) and you wouldn't expect to find it right next to the deli line or the hot foods station. In my experience, when people need Rolaids they don't want to have to search too hard to find them.

- MANDY K LOSIEWICZ

Comment on "Ease the waiting"

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:52:22 -0500

I know from past experience working at Red Lobster that the hostess would pass out the cheddar biscuits and non alcoholic smoothies to customers waiting in the lobby when the wait was over an hour. This makes the customers so much happier and in better moods when they do finally make it to their table. Some customers would also love the sample of the frozen smoothie they tried that they would order one as soon as they were seated.

- TARA E HITE

Comment on "Ease the waiting"

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:12:12 -0500

I've never heard of that before, but it's nice to hear that the restaurant realizes that people are probably already hungry even before their long wait to be seated. Serving these "snacks" probably distracts customers a little from constantly looking at the time and focusing on their wait.
I wonder how much this has increased or decreased their sales - Do customers appreciate the gesture and are more willing to spend more money on their meal or do customers snack too much and then aren't really hungry anymore when it's time to order?

- JENNIFER CHRISTINE PIAZZA

Comment on "In response to “Beef and Beer”"

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:43:12 -0500

The approach was definitely different. These places definitely were not chains. To be honest, I only saw a few chain restaurants (i.e. Pizza Express), which did deliver to your table. But any type of restaurant that had a bar in it (which is almost every place in London) required you to walk up and order your food and then go and pick up your condiments. It was interesting, but worked just as well. One nice thing was that I didn't need to depend on my waiter/waitress to take my order. I could do things when I wanted.

(sorry my link didn't work, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't).

- WESLEY DOUGLAS REOHR

Comment on "SOOOOO frustrated"

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:08:28 -0500

I've experienced similar service from some of the science / biotech companies. They seem to know when it's an exact product (that there is no substitute available for you) and don't seem to care if their service is sub par. I have gone to my representative from specific companies to complain - I generally get better service out of them than out of the customer service phone line. Maybe it's because their paycheck is based on the commission of my sales . . .

- MANDY K LOSIEWICZ

Comment on "The positive phone experience "

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:42:54 -0500

Congrats for getting a free sample! The last three or four times I tried that for kits I was told that the company sold "smaller" versions of the kits. Even though I only wanted enough to do 5 reactions, I had to purchase a kit that did 50 and ended up not working as we needed. One nice thing about VWR, another scientific supply company, is that when you call you are asked for your customer pin number and are then transfered to a customer service representative who can usually help you with whatever reason you were calling.

- MANDY K LOSIEWICZ

Comment on "The bonus card"

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:24:19 -0500

The point of "loyalty card" is to benefit customers who frequently shop at their stores. I do not think the register attendents should scan your card if you do not have one. I think your post talks more about a price issue than a service issue.

If they scan their card for every person, what is the point of the card? I am not a fan of the loyalty cards. I think stores should offer the best prices without a card, like Walmart.

- DARREN M PUGH

Comment on "The bonus card"

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:20:11 -0500

Wow! My husband went to Giant the other day and didn't have our card with him so the cashier used the card she had. It's almost automatic for Giant cashiers to scan the "house" bonus cards when they know you don't have your's with you. Apparently that's not the case with other grocery stores...differentiation.

- JENNIFER CHRISTINE PIAZZA

Comment on "Good vs Bad: Insurance "

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 15:39:20 -0500

I have State Farm for my house and car and would highly recommend Bob May in Camp Hill to anyone. I have had insurance through that office since moving to Camp Hill in 2001. They are always very helpful when I call with a question and are able to get me in at a time that's convenient for me when I need an appointment.

- JENNIFER CHRISTINE PIAZZA

Comment on "Good vs Bad: Insurance "

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:39:33 -0500

I would have been furious as well!! I think your story is a good example of the "moment of truth" concept and I would probably be safe to assume a "service recovery" would be impossible for the agent. Are they still your insurer??

- LISA REBECCA WATTS

Comment on "Automated phone service"

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:18:15 -0500

Trying calling Comcast and hitting zero, they start you thru the whole process again. That place is a trainwreck.

- WESLEY DOUGLAS REOHR

Comment on "Automated phone service"

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:06:28 -0500

I think the introduction of the automated phone services was a huge innovation in its time and still has its place in the service industry. This is a way for compaines to direct calls in a much more reliable and cost effective manner rather then a pool of operators. Also, the use of a frequently asked question and answer section can be huge for a company rather then hiring a "trained monkey" to answer the same question over and over. Although a lot of the automated phone lines out there are cumbersome I would say for the most part they are beneficial to the service company and the consumer, if used correctly. I think the same can be said for the internet sites of different companies as well. I have had experiences where I couldnt find what I needed on-line because of poor website infrastructure as well. I think it all comes back to design of the automated phone system and the website by the supporting company.

- DAMIAN ASHLEY DYER

Comment on "Automated phone service"

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:19:13 -0500

Next time you're on the phone with an automated phone service, try hitting zero. It should allow you to speak with a customer representative.

- CHARLES LOVE

Comment on "Automated phone service"

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:31:10 -0500

I am in complete agreement with this. I understand that automation can help get you to the correct representative, but it takes too long and it isn't accurate enough. I'd rather go directly to a human...actually, I would like a human to answer the phone. Until it is reliable, forget the automation.

Also, Dr. Brady, how important was the call you were making to the DSL provider? 3 times thru the album, when is enough, enough? There could only be 3 reasons to listen the entire time. 1. You loved the album. 2. The call was very important. 3. You've been on hold for so long, that you don't want to hang up now and start all over at another point.

- WESLEY DOUGLAS REOHR

Comment on "Automated phone service"

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:20:57 -0500

I hear ya! You might be interested in the link:

http://gethuman.com/

It is set up to give you the secret codes, or at times, secret phone numbers, that will take you directly to a human. (well, you still might have to listen to cheesy musak.)

I will say that my best (and perhaps worst) experience with on-hold music was with Speakeasy.net. They were my first DSL provider in Ohio. They played a whole album, and even told me the information about it so I could get it for myself. The bad part? I listened to the whole album 3 times once, while on hold. OUCH.

- STEPHAN PAUL BRADY

Comment on "Automated phone service"

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:41:04 -0500

I'm right there with you on this one - hate it! Except when it comes to the ones you have to SAY which option you want instead of being able to use the number options. You say "ABC" and the recording says "You said DEF. Is that correct?" or "I'm sorry. I didn't understand. Please repeat your choice." At this point, I would LOVE to use the number options instead of talking to some recording that usually doesn't "understand" my options so I have to repeat myself anyway.
Better yet, give me a real live human to talk to!!!

- JENNIFER CHRISTINE PIAZZA