Alright, I’m gonna try this ‘post to your blog’ thing without anything to promote. (I know … I know…)
Anyway, earlier today I was starving … literally didn’t eat breakfast and was trying to tear myself away from the computer for literally an hour. I was about to run out and my wife came home. So, being the quick thinker that I am — I said “Honey! Thank God you’re home — I’m starving and I’ve been waiting for you!!!”
So, off we ran — myself, Andrea, and my sometimes-biz-partner Sam Heyer. We zipped down to a really posh area in Scottsdale called DC Ranch — all of us hungry. We quickly parked, and hopped out of the car. We walked up to Arbitrage Bistro - and it was closed … we walked past the Something or Other Cantina … didn’t feel like Mexican food … accidentally walked right past a bunch of restaurants … went back — oops closed. Closed. Closed … back on the sidewalk…
We finally happened upon “The Herb Box”. Someone along the way told us there was a new place over there … Urb or Urr or something. It’s good. So, we popped in. Had a good vibe, looked at the menu and it seemed to have good food, and we were out of options anyway.
Nobody at the hostess stand … so we walked around to the deli side. The cashier said “are you here for in-house dining. Yes, we are. “Oh, the hostess is over there by the hostess stand.” Um, “There’s nobody over there - but we’ll go stand there till someone shows up.”
2-3 minutes later - a nice 40-something blonde woman came to greet us. We asked to sit outside - there was no seating. Should be just a few minutes - a few people have already asked for their checks.
Listen - we dine out a lot — we’re okay to wait a few minutes.
10 Minutes or more later she came back and said that the table was leaving and we’d be seated in a moment…
13 Minutes later (yes, at this point, we’re watching our time - my wife needed to go back and pick up the kids, yadda yadda). Somewhere after 5 minutes into this - we thought ’should we just go back to the Cantina - we’d be eating by now’.
Anyway - so after a total of around 25 minutes we’re finally seated at a table with no silverware and food on the floor from the baby that was just there. The hostess told us someone would sweep that - but that person never came.
Alright … alright - so, we’re finally at a table. We had already looked at the menu so we were ready to order quickly. It took a little while longer than it should’ve for the waiter to show. We tried to put our entire order but it turns out we were trying to order off the dinner menu and it was lunch time.
So, we ordered ice tea and some appetizers and waited on the menu.
The waiter passed us 3 times without giving us a menu. We finally asked the other server and she brought menus on her next pass through (she seemed to have her stuff a bit better together, too, btw - but it was a systemic problem.) Took a little while for the tea to get there. … and then we placed our order.
Everything really took longer than it should have. They didn’t have anyone to bus tables. They didn’t have anyone to sweep the floors. Noone to run drinks around to people. They were understaffed and unprepared for even any sort of ‘lunch rush’. I over heard the hostess say “well, it looks like people are *finding* us now”.
Oh, my gosh — as a fellow business person — I wanted to cry for these people.
IT LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE ARE FINDING US NOW
Yes, they turned us away because they didn’t have stuff properly set up. As a patron, I know what systems they’re missing… I don’t know what to call it — but some sort of system to inform us of how long of a wait it will be (like those beepers - but they don’t even need that … take our name down, call our name, whatever.) A system for ’service overflow’.
The were lacking a training system for wait staff — I think this was our guy’s first time to the rodeo. He forgot menus, sweetner … oh, they don’t even have little containers for the sweetners - sure, they’re a new restaraunt - but run to Costco and get *something* people … he forgot silverware … now, this is after we asked him for all these things, mind you.
Long story short — the food was pretty good, the service was the worst I’d had in a long time. I feel bad for the place - believe me when I tell ya — there’s no way that I’m the most “discerning customer” in all of Scottsdale. It’s pretty posh here in Scottsdale - believe that.
… And then … as I thought about typing this out … I thought about my own business.
Take pause to think about YOUR BUSINESS and it’s service level.
Just like “The Herb Box”, I’m certain they intend to have kick-ass customer service. I’m positive. They all looked like really nice people — great looking restaraunt — nice little menu — good food — but totally ill-prepared to handle the ‘lunch rush’.
This morning, a woman name Cathy called. She found my cell phone number in Paypal or someting (it’s not all that hidden). She called me and said “wow, I wasn’t expecting you to answer”.
Shit.
That means she’s tried other means and had some bad luck.
Listen, I really do have the intention of having KICK ASS CUSTOMER SERVICE. But the truth is - I suck.
I get too many emails - so, I have someone watching those for me — she’s gotten pretty good. But who knows if email gets through 100% of the time.
We have a support system — we were somehow dropping support tickets left and right for months (until like 2 weeks ago).
I don’t usually pick up my phone.
The truth is — MY CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS.
Cathy couldn’t login to either of the two membership sites she ordered from me. Some subscription was still billing her and it should’ve shut off. Audios shut off on her sometimes. She can only stay logged in for 20 minutes. I dunno — everything that could go wrong was going wrong with Cathy.
I wouldn’t let her go until everything that I could solve was solved.
I got her the right passwords, the correct download pages, gave her an extra digital product, stopped the subscription, refunded her two different purchases, and even promised to send her my only physical newsletter - Sal’s Secrets as soon as this month’s issue is ready. (YES — at least I view bad customer service as an OPPORTUNITY to make things better. I’m really big on that.)
Anyway - what’s this all about?
It’s about honesty and openness. MY CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS and I promise it will get better and better each and every week. If you’re having some sort of issue and run into a wall — feel free to post a comment here. I do read all blog comments by the way - so, if it’s your last ditch effort - go ahead and post. It’s all good - I’ll fix the problem whatever it is.
Otherwise - my support link is www.harrishelps.com — that should work now and get your problem solved w/in 1-2 business days. And hey - I’m sorry. It happens to the best of us. It’ll get better.
And ya know what — I’ll even go back to “The Herb Box” in a month or so. I really wanted to like the place. Just like all of my customers want to like me. I think a lot of internet marketers like myself are screwing up — especially in the customer service department. I hear Yanik’s is pretty good (according to Cathy).
So, ya know what - if you’re a fellow internet marketer - and you want your customer service to get better — let me know. Email me, skype me, comment here. Let’s get together and see if we can’t raise the bar together.
“TOO MUCH BUSINESS” is no excuse for bad customer service.
Keep Having Fun,
Harris
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