We’ve all experienced it. Often several times a day. And it’s not getting better. According to a recent article by Forbes  businesses lose $62 billion per year because of it. Yet it continues. What am I referring to? Bad customer service. And it’s not getting better according to Forbes.

On a recent outing in Colorado Springs, as I often do, I experienced firsthand bad customer service. While attempting to find a faucet part in a big box store, I waited patiently for a store associate to assist me in locating the part. Fifteen minutes after my initial request for assistance, and with no help in sight, my patience wore off. I left the store and went elsewhere.

I’m sure we have all been in this situation. You pull up to a fast food drive thru. After waiting for the speaker to greet you and ask for your order, you begin to tell them what you’d like. Before you’re finished, you’re rudely interrupted. Because they are not listening to you. You want to scream at them! “Can I finish my order please?”

So why has good customer service gone the way of the Titanic?  I believe it has to do with today’s fast paced environment. Businesses today are focused on being bigger, better and faster than the competition. Customer service has taken a back seat to the fast paced world we live in today. And bad customer service is often the result.

Automated phone services likely annoy the majority of us. “Why can’t I just speak to a real person?” I often hear these words in my thoughts while navigating seemingly endless prompts to reach the person I need to speak to. What happened to good old customer service responsiveness?

It still exists. One just has to look harder and dig deeper to find it.

In a recent article I wrote about how to choose the right contractor. Finding a company today that provides good customer service requires some of the same diligence. You have to do a little research. Check their online reputation and reviews. Google reviews are a good source. See what other customers have to say about their experience with a particular business.

You should expect good customer service. Don’t accept bad customer service. The squeaky wheel get the oils, as they say. If you experience a less than satisfactory experience with a business, say something! Let them know. I recommend trying to resolve the issue first directly with the business. Don’t be hasty and leave a bad online review without first talking directly with a management rep of the business. Give them a chance to redeem themselves first.

Often a business owner or manager is unaware of a customer’s issue and will be happy to resolve it if given the opportunity. I once had a bad review posted online by an unhappy customer. He was not impressed by one of my service technicians services. I only found out about this after seeing the review posted online. I immediately called the customer to inquire as to what occurred.

After a long discussion, I was able to remedy the situation, make the customer happy, and resolve his complaint. And after discovering exactly what our technician had done to upset the customer, I verified what had occurred, completely sympathized with the customer and terminated the employee.

The customer later edited his review and changed it to a positive one!

Don’t settle for bad customer service. You are entitled to a good experience when you spend your hard earned money for goods or services. If you’re not happy with an experience with a business, let them know!

At Basset Heating & Air Conditioning, we want to make your customer service experience with us an exceptional one. We are always looking to improve. And your feedback helps us to accomplish that goal. Whether good or bad, I want to hear from our customers about their experience with our business.

You can reach out to me anytime.

Thanks for reading!

Mike Machado

President, Basset Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.