Boynton Beach Home Depot Fiasco

We had to paint the outside of our stucco house because it probably hasn’t been painted in 30 years and it was looking rough. A lot of paint had flaked off and showed bare cement or the original pink that it was first painted. Since it is impossible to find people to do work on the house, we knew we had to paint it ourselves.

So, after doing research in Consumer Reports, we learn that Behr paint is the best exterior paint to use and it is only available at Home Depot. When we go to the paint department at Home Depot, we ask the guy about the paint. He agrees that the Behr Marquee is the best (at $51 per gallon) so we ask him to give us 4 gallons of flat white exterior paint to paint the outside of our house. He gets the paint for us and even helps us get rollers and brushes. When asked if we have to add white to the paint, he says no because it is already white and we just need to get it stirred at the desk.

Due to the heat, we can only work a few hours each day and spend about 4 days painting the house with the first two gallons. (Remember, we are not professional painters so it takes us a little longer than a professional). Finally, we have half of the house done and we have used 2 gallons of paint so far. When we open the 3rd gallon and we notice it looks a little wonky. When we roll it on the house, it doesn’t even cover the old paint. So, we thought that maybe they didn’t stir it well and we open the 4th gallon. But we have the same results.

We load the 4 cans in the car and head to Home Depot. When we get to the paint department and explain the problem, the first guy tells us that it is our fault because the numbers are different on the paint. We explain the Home Depot guy gave them to us. Another paint person tells us that we didn’t get white added to the paint and the paint was just a base so we explained that their guy told us we didn’t need to get anything added. So, we asked to speak to a manager. They walked away and started helping others but no one called a manager. I called the customer service desk on my phone and asked for the manager to come to the paint department.

Judy, who was a customer service manager, showed up and we explained the problem to her. Again, she said we didn’t get the same paint numbers. I told her that while I was on the phone asking for the manager, the two guys were looking at the cans. One guy told the other that he needed to get the cans with the same numbers when he gave them to customers. She looked at me and asked, “You mean the new guy was telling the tenured guy what to do?” Then she looks at the paint and tells us that we had gotten the wrong paint! This stuff was an unpigmented base paint and it wouldn’t cover the paint on the house and would probably fade next year. We asked if we had to repaint over what we had already done in the past 4 days. Judy scoffed with disbelief and didn’t believe that we had been painting for 4 days! My husband got upset that Judy was calling him a liar but she finally backed down from that and said we would have to repaint it because that base paint was going to fade quickly without pigment. My husband was irate because he just wasted 4 days of painting! At least she gave us 4 gallons of the correct paint (we hope anyway) but there is no way to make up for the labor that we had put into the house already.

Things I Learned:

• Always check the numbers on the paint can even if the guy tells you it doesn’t matter.
• Base paint always needs pigment in it.
• Ask for a second opinion even if it makes the first guy mad.
• Home Depot employees will tell you anything to sell you a product.
• Consider going to Lowe's for home improvement supplies

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Giving Good Customer Service

In Customer service is free from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin,

“Great customer service pays for itself.”

Teaching is just another form of customer service. Our students are the customers. Their parents are the customers. Taxpayers are the customers.

When I teach my students to be successful, I’m showing customers that they are getting good value for their money.

I cringe when I hear teachers ridicule students or their parents. I want to yell at them that if they were a salesperson in a store, their boss would fire them for talking about customers this way. They would be told that being in sales is not the right position for them. I feel the same way about teachers. If you can’t respect students and their parents, then you shouldn’t be in teaching.

Being patient and willing to help students be successful is my job. That is part of the customer service that I have been trained for.

This customer service has come back to me many times and helped me from getting burned out. During my low times, I have had students and parents who encouraged me and thanked me for my hard work. Those are the times that have helped me overcome my struggles and continue to work in the classroom.

Recently I met a student who was in my classroom 16 years ago! I was actually on a trip and was about 600 miles away from home when we stopped for dinner. The manager in the restaurant came up to us and she recognized me after all these years! I was so proud to see her and know that she was successful in her life. She is independent and pays her own bills. This is how I know that good customer service pays for itself.

Do you feel that teaching is customer service? Why or why not? Please share.

Photo by Blake Wisz on Unsplash

Letter To Verizon Wireless

(Yesterday I had crummy service at a local Verizon store which is unusual because I normally have good service there. When I tried to email a complaint to the company I found it impossible. You can contact support about anything except a problem with customer service. I called and was told that I could mail a letter or fax a letter but that was the only way. In today’s world and with Verizon wanting to show that they are technologically advanced, this is not the way to show it. They sell data plans but they don’t want people to have a way to email the company if there is a problem. I felt like they were making this as difficult as possible as a way of hoping that I would go away. Instead, I’m posting my letter on line and would be interested in seeing if I get any response. )

To Whom It May Concern,

I was very disappointed in the customer service I received today (11/3/14 at 11:45am) at the Verizon store at 365 Harrison Bridge Road in Simpsonville, SC. I have been a loyal customer for many years and if you look at my record, you will see that I have purchased numerous items from this store. Over time, I have recommended Verizon to many family and friends. I usually rave about how great Verizon is and the great customer service that I normally get but today was not that kind of day.

I went into the store because I wanted to know what plan was available to add on to my phone because we are going on a cruise to the Caribbean and Mexico. I know I could have called but I wanted to have a live human help me. A couple of months ago I did the same thing when I asked about adding Canada on my plan and the customer service rep immediately helped me get this information. I had hoped to do the same thing today.

I also wanted to know if you could see when I bought this LG Bluetooth mono headset (HBM – 260) and see if it was still under warranty. It has broken in two places: the hook that holds it on my ear and the cushion on the sound piece. If it was not under warranty, I planned on buying a new headset.

I was helped by a tall man wearing a gray sweater with a distinct accent but I didn’t notice any name tag. I asked him for help about the available plans and he told me that I needed to call to get that information or he could call there and put me on the phone but it was going to take a long time. If I wanted to do that, I could have done that at home.

When I asked about my headset, he immediately had a rude attitude and did not look up the information I asked for. He told me that it wasn’t under warranty and that Verizon would go broke if they replaced things like this. This is not how I feel that I should have been treated. When he kept making me feel like I was trying to get something for nothing and that I was not a valued customer, I walked out without even considering buying a new headset.

Please let me know if this is the trend for how Verizon plans on treating their customers. I would like to know this so that I can consider looking at other options for meeting my mobile needs. Thank you.

Image: 'Deepak Chopra No matter what the situation,+remind+yourself+I+have+a+choice'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85608594@N00/12024129713
Found on flickrcc.net

Good Customer Service

Many times I’m quick to complain about customer service and if I get mad enough, I may even write the company. But sometimes I need to stop and recognize good customer service when I get it too. Maybe if I do that more often, I will see a trend in getting better customer service in the long run.

For months, my husband and I have been looking for Hillshire Farms Polska Kielbasa in the bun size and have not been able to find it anywhere. We checked several grocery stores in our area but no one carries it anymore even though last year we were able to find it in a couple of places.

Like most people, we try to save money when we can so on Wednesdays, the new sales flyer comes out at Publix. I know that the meat is sometimes higher than the local Wal-Mart but the quality is so much better that it is worth the cost. Yesterday we went to our local Publix Store #613 (which has the best meat department in Greenville, SC – and probably the state!) where I usually buy all of my meat products. Once again, we lingered in the area where they sell hot dogs and sausages because my husband keeps hoping that one day, he will see what we are looking for on the shelf. Near us, Mike who works in the meat department, was stocking some shelves and noticed we were looking for something. He took some time to have a conversation with us, even though I’m sure we interrupted his work. But when he heard what we were looking for, he let us know that he thought he had some in the back. He took the time to stop his own work to look for something that we wanted. I didn’t believe he had it until he brought out the box and we were so excited that he was able to find some for us! He made us feel like we were very important customers and that feeling is exactly why we like to shop at Publix. We were so excited we even wanted Mike’s boss to know how much we appreciated him taking the time to help us.

At first, we talked among ourselves about how good the customer service is at Publix. Even Publix stores in other states have great service so I know it must be a company policy. But many stores have this company policy even though you don’t really see the good service. I’m always impressed with how consistent the good service is at Publix stores around the country. And I’m especially glad that we have an awesome Publix in our own neighborhood!

If you have a Publix in your area, check it out and notice the difference in customer service compared to other grocery stores. When I started making a conscious effort to notice the differences, I was surprised to see how noticeable it is.

What kind of customer service do you like in a grocery store? Please share.

Apologize With Grace

(Today’s post is for the letter A in the A-Z challenge.)

Recently I had some awful experiences with customer service. After thinking about what could have been done differently, I realized that we don’t really teach our students how to apologize. We expect them to apologize when they do wrong and I’m sure that as small children, they learned to say they were sorry. But as adults, customers expect a little more than those simple two words.

We called this gutter company for a sales person to come out and give us an estimate. He called and arranged to come out at 1pm the next day. He finally showed up at 1:30 but never called to say he was running late or even apologized for being late. Then he rambled on about things we weren’t  interested in as well as trying to show a video of how gutters were made that we didn’t want to see. I think that I was feeling so ticked off at him before he arrived that his whole sales pitch was wasted. If he couldn’t be punctual or even apologize for our inconvenience, I knew we wouldn’t be doing any business with him. (Plus his estimate was $4000 higher than the previous guy!)

Then this week, I needed my treadmill repaired. Since we have a four year maintenance contract with Nordic Track, I called them to send someone out. They said they would and ordered some parts that they thought would be needed. This man calls us about 3 days later and asks if the parts are in. When told no, he said he would call next week but he never did. Two weeks later I finally had to call the company to ask them to send someone out again. Finally he calls me back and says it would be a week before he could come out but we arranged for him to come at 7pm. He doesn’t arrive until 7:30, but like the gutter man, no call to say he is running late or any apology for being late!

Now the last situation that happened was in a restaurant. We usually get the same meal at this restaurant and the entrée usually comes out before we finish our salad. Well, this day, we got our salad and never got our drinks until I had to flag our server down. Then 15 minutes after we were finished with our salads, the server glances at us and asks, “You didn’t get your meals yet?” After checking in the kitchen, she returns and asks me, “Are you sure you didn’t get your meal?” What?! Of course I’m sure! Did she think I threw the dirty plates and silverware in my purse? I assured her that we did not get our food. Then she goes in the kitchen and comes back with the apology and says, “I’m so sorry. It is the kitchen’s fault. They stamped the ticket saying you got the food. I don’t know where it went. Someone must have gotten the wrong dish. It really isn’t my fault. It’s the kitchen’s fault!” and on and on and on. Eventually the manager did give us one of our meals for free (which we didn’t ask for).

Now in each of these cases, the apology (or no apology) stunk! It made me realize that even though I have stressed good customer service to my students, I had never really taught them how to apologize gracefully.
Here are some tips that I would give my students:

If you are going to be late, call at least 10 minutes before your expected arrival and let the customer know you will be late and your expected time of arrival. Ask if this will be okay or if your appointment needs to be rescheduled. Do not give long winded excuses about why you are running late because the customer is not interested.

If a problem occurs, apologize for the problem. Do not blame other people or give long winded excuses about why the problem occurred. Apologize and then explain how you will fix the problem. That is what customers want to hear.

I would have students role play different situations where they would need to do this. Some students might suggest other customer situations to role play where an apology is needed.

I think by learning how to apologize with grace will help students be more successful with customer service.
Do you teach students how to apologize? If so, what do you teach them and how?

Image: 'Sorry!'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42302744@N00/139499559

Restaurant Service in a Nutshell

What is considered good service in a restaurant? I tell my students that they need to offer good service if they work in a restaurant but I’m not sure I defined what that means. Maybe good service to me might not mean the same for everyone else. I can tell you though that the better the service, the better the tip that I leave is much higher.
My husband and I go out to eat a lot. Probably more than the average person so I think I have seen all types of service. Sometimes there are many things that affect how much I enjoy my visit to a certain restaurant and I think all of these things affect my tip (even though it probably should not).
If you are a host/hostess:
1. I should be acknowledged when I walk in. If they can’t seat me right away, at least let me know that you see me and will seat me shortly.
2. Ask my preference as to a table or a booth.
3. Don’t seat me at a place if there is trash under or around that table.
4. If there are plenty of tables, don’t seat me right next to another occupied table. This may be convenient for the server but not enjoyable for the guest.
5.
If you are a server:
1. Acknowledge that you see me even if you can’t get to me right away.
2. Introduce yourself and act welcoming like you are glad I am there. I don’t like when you make me feel unwelcome or that you are doing me a favor by waiting on me. Without me, you don’t have a job so essentially I’m doing you a favor by being there.
3. Don’t take too long to get my drink order so I can look at the menu while you get my drink. Usually I come in and I’m thirsty.
4. Always make sure that my drink is not empty. Don’t ask me if I need a refill. Just bring me one! If my glass is empty, I need a refill.
5. When you bring my food, check and make sure that everything looks right. Ask me if I need anything else. Don’t just ask these questions and then turn before I can answer. Wait for me to answer.
6. Keep your eye on me every once in awhile to see if I need anything. Don’t ask me every 2 minutes if I need anything because then you are interrupting our conversation which is annoying.
7. Ask me if I’m done before you take away my plates. I do not want you to touch my plates if I am still eating or using the plate.
8. Some people eat faster than others. Don’t bring the check until all of the people are done eating unless someone asks for it. Bringing the check before people are done makes them feel rushed. Rushed people do not leave good tips.
9. Let me know if you take the payment or if I have to go somewhere to pay. I hate having to guess what to do. If I have a question about my bill, offer to check it even if you think I’m wrong. Then go check it because I may be right.
10. Thank me for being there. Invite me to return again (remember, I’m job security! The more customers, the more the business needs to keep you.)
These are my suggestions for good service. Do you have any others to suggest? Please share.
Image: 'untitled'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22729253@N06/5264089141

Wanted: Good Service and Product Knowledge

I have to share an interesting experience which will make you realize how desperately we need to train our students that good customer service and knowledge of a product are extremely important. This is very important to businesses during these serious economic times when businesses are competing for the few dollars that people have.

My Proform treadmill finally died last week and is irreparable. I’ve had it for about 10 years and used it regularly. Since I have a service contract on it with Sears, I was given a credit to buy a new treadmill. Shopping for a new treadmill is worse than buying a car! I seriously thought about just giving up and losing the credit that was awarded to me.

I went to Sears to look at the treadmills available and all of the Proforms there were cheap and pretty flimsy. When I got home, I found that Sears Online had Proforms that were much sturdier so I called up the store to see if they could order it for me and then I would buy it from the store. I was told no that I had to buy one from the store.

So, we go back out to the store to look at some more and then we find a Nordic Track C900 that looks much sturdier than the cheap, flimsy Proforms on display. Of course, the incline on the display model was broke and the salesman didn’t know much about it or why it wasn’t working. It was on about a 5% incline but the display showed it was on a 0% incline. He didn’t know much about any of the treadmills other than ringing it up and taking our money. So we are back to the drawing board. I decided that since we had a service contract, we could risk getting one like this and if the incline didn’t work, we would just get it fixed.

When I get home, I called the Sears store just to find out how much a Nordic Track service contract cost, he told me that it was about $354 for 5 years and he thought 3 years might be $250. When I asked him if there was a site online that I could read about it to get exact prices, he told me no. I asked if there was a brochure and he said he thought there might be. Then I asked if he could look at it and tell me the cost, he replied that he wasn’t near one so he couldn’t help me.

Next I call the Sears contract number and find out that if we get a Nordic Track, the service contract cost would be refunded because Sears does not work on Nordic Tracks. I have had wonderful service through Sears so this disappointed me about losing them if we buy a Nordic Track. When I told the lady about finding a Proform online that we liked, she told me that there was no problem ordering for me, and it would be delivered to my house. Then an installer would come install it and remove my old one. This was a totally different story than the one the store person told me. So now I’m back to looking at Proforms.

I found one similar at Academy Sports that I plan to look at since I like to see it with my own eyes. When I asked over the phone if they offered a service contract, the man asked, “You mean they come out and fix it?” When I told him yes, he recited the warranty that came with the treadmill and I asked again about the service contract. Finally he said that he didn’t think they offered any but he didn’t really know. Okay…

So now I finally decided on one to order online, I called back the toll free number for it to be ordered. Then I'm told that for some unknown reason, it is not allowing them to order it. Even though it says it is in stock, Sears says it is not in their system. Now I'm back at square one...again!

Since Sears and Academy Sports had salespeople who were totally useless, it made me realize that this is the caliber of people businesses are putting out on the floor. They are probably being paid little and trained even less.

I truly believe that if we give better service and train people to know their products, businesses would sell more products. Customers would be happier with companies and companies would have pride in what they sell. Maybe all they care about is the profit now but without good customer service and a product they can sell, these businesses will eventually lose the battle.

If I did not have a service contract with Sears, I probably would have given up by now and done without a treadmill. I have had to do the research on my own and if I did not have the time, I would have just stopped looking. Is this what businesses want consumers to do? If so, they need to stop whining when their profits go down!

It is never too early to teach good customer service. I expect salespeople to be friendly (without being annoying), available for help (not texting on cell phone or talking to other salespeople), and willing to find information for me if they don’t know it. Manners are important and all of students should practice this in the classroom with adults and their peers. Role playing different situations would train older students what to do if someone comes to their business and needs help. I think you can teach general good customer service that would apply to any business. Then when they get a job, the employee can focus on learning about the product and not learning the basics.

What do you think?

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).


Original image: 'Customer service'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11121568@N06/4297836062 by: Alan Cleaver

My DirecTV experience

(Warning: Rant in progress!)

Every year I start my vacation on a bad note with DirecTV. I have been a loyal customer since 2006¸ paying almost $140 per month for this service. Keep in mind, I enjoy DirecTV and the programming we get with it but it is a luxury and not a necessity. When I called DirecTV to put a vacation suspension on my service, they say I need to have a zero balance to put this hold on my service. I just paid my bill in full on 11/19 and do not feel that I should have to pay the full amount in advance on 12/3 just to put a hold on my service. I feel this is a terrible way to treat loyal customers! It is not like I’m trying to get out of paying my bill because I pay my bill in full every month.

The first girl told me that it was impossible to do and got me her supervisor, Vanessa when I asked for her. She also told me it was impossible to do without paying the whole amount so I asked for my service to be cancelled. So, Vanessa passes me on to Solomon. We go through the same song and dance and I still feel that I am treated pretty shabbily when all I want to do is put a vacation hold on my service. I finally ask for the company president’s address and an email to file a complaint. Solomon gave me an address and told me to address to the attention of the “Office of the President” but would not give me a name (which I found out by looking at their website is Michael White, Chairman, President & CEO).

When I asked for an email address, he told me that he couldn’t give me a specific email address but told me to go through the following steps: Go to “DirecTV.com”, click on “About Us,” Click on “Our Company,” click on “Executive Team,” click on Executive Customer Care Contact,” then click on “Ellen Filipiak, Sr. VP of Customer Care.” Why did he have to go spend all that time when he could have just given me that final person’s name and email? I believe they hoped that I would be fed up and give up without cancelling my service! You would think that a company that can turn my service on and off by the touch of a computer should be able to handle this quickly and efficiently.

After all that, when I asked Solomon if he cancelled my service, he acted surprised, like he didn’t know that I still wanted to cancel my service. Finally, twenty minutes after I began this ordeal, Solomon says that he will put a vacation hold on my service but this is a onetime deal only. Again, I feel this is a terrible way to treat a long term customer and should not be made to feel like I’m begging for something that isn’t due to me.

I have to go through this ordeal every year when I want to put a hold on my service. Why do I need to have this aggravation when I start a vacation? I should not have to threaten to cancel my service in order to get good service.

When we return home, we plan to look seriously at this situation to decide if we want to continue with DirecTV. If they don’t value long term, loyal customers, there may a company out there that does want our business. Please let me know if you have a company you have had a lot of trouble with so we don’t put it on our list to consider.

Now it’s time to put this horrible experience on the back burner and go enjoy my vacation!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Day 15--Frustration'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58372737@N00/369649914 by: Brandy

Customer Service

In Hands Up, not Hands Out. from PrincipalsPage The Blog by Michael Smith, he says,

“In this age of cutbacks, I think you will see teachers, administrators, and school employees doing even more than usual.”

When I went to an office today, I also saw a wonderful poster about customer service. It said “Always give the customer more than they expect.”

Both of these made me reflect on how much we do in the classroom. We are not just teachers but many times we act as a nurturer, nurse, mediator, and entertainer, just to mention a few things. I used to always complain that the more I do, the more people expect from me.

Customer service is the hardest thing I tried to teach my high school students before they went to a jobsite. It is hard to explain how sometimes, the simplest things you do for others can really go a long way.

The same thing goes for the classroom too. Sometimes it isn’t our job to do things but when I go out of the way, seeing the pleasure on a student’s face or the look of gratitude on a colleague’s face makes it all worthwhile. Many times I have been the lucky recipient of nice things back and I truly believe that what goes around comes around. Often, I have to ask for help or a favor from others and it is much easier if I know that I have done things for others.

I’m not saying that everyone is grateful for my help all of the time or if they even notice that I’ve gone out of my way. Sometimes I feel bitter and resentful when I feel as if I’m the one doing all the giving and others seem to do all of the taking. Yes, I get discouraged like others about this but in the long run, the scale has been on the positive side than the other.

You might disagree but I also believe that it is okay to toot your own horn when necessary. How will people know all of the things that you do if you don’t tell them. I don’t mean to brag about it in a snarky kind of way but it is okay for others to know about your actions and how much you accomplished. This may pay off later when you are asking for something or if you need something. Somewhere in the conversation you can bring up things you have done to benefit this person or the people that this person serves.

I feel like if we all had this attitude of giving, we would be a better place. And what a wonderful role model we could be for our students. It seems like I spend a lot of time telling my students about the things they should do but I wonder if I am showing them with my actions as well as my words.

I have called students’ homes in order to share with parents about all the wonderful activities we are doing in the classroom. Monthly newsletters are a great way to share this information with families as well and I make sure my administration gets a copy of this newsletter too. This information is also listed on my web page in case family or friends of the family are interested in these activities. If something special is happening with my class, I may invite the school board to the event and even if they don’t come to it, they are aware of something happening. Some of them might even email a special note to my class about it. If I’ve had an elected official speak to the class, I always invite my administrators to stop in and welcome them which seem to be appreciated by both parties.

These may seem like little things to you but I find it is the little things that matter. I don’t have to have some great big declaration or gala to let others know about the extra things that I do. Yet, I don’t have to let them go unnoticed. If it ever comes down to choosing me over someone else for possible job cuts, I think the extra things I do will help sway the decision making process to my side. The extra things may be what it takes for me to be successful in my career as well as helping my students be successful.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'I wanna hold your hand'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10488545@N05/1865482908 by: Josep Mª Rosell