The personal touch...

[Guest]

Since more people are noticing the "impersonalness" of businesses ... why aren't companies LISTENING and DOING something in response to what consumers seem to be saying they want? I know some are ... but, for the most part, the accountability and attention to detail is lacking in companies/businesses across the board, so it seems....

I know I've seen (and heard) plenty of people talk about how businesses have lost the personal touch, particularly on message boards when people rant about a bad experience they had with a company. It's good to know, though, that others are noticing this, as illustrated by this January article in our local paper:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/...s/gathman/1394154,3_5_EL25_GATHMAN_S1.article

That article was written because of replies the writer received after this article:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/...s/gathman/1382505,3_5_EL18_GATHMAN_S1.article

It seems so simple; yet, in this economy, it's hard for companies to invest time, hours, and funds in going "back to the basics". Odd that the simple, basic things appear to be costly to companies. Irony rocks.



Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...RT 66 drive = Sept '09
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Yeah, we got problems here in the land of the free" ... Barbara Mandrell ... 'In Times Like These'

 

[Ross]

I think it has a lot to do with the "Me, self centeredness" attitude that seems to have infected this country in the last 15-20 years. Businesses have shifted toward the profit dollar in greed and have all but forgotten their main purpose for being.

That guy brought up a point I made to my kids not terribly long ago when the new houses started springing up everywhere around here. I'm talking houses that run anywhere from $200,00 to $2,000,000. Tons and tons of them. We were driving through the neighborhoods looking and I remarked at the time, "People can't possibly have this much money that they can afford all these houses, something tells me the banks are going to get stuck with a lot of mortgage notes when this whole thing collapses." Sad when you see it coming, but people still went ahead and did it anyway.

 

[OldManEmu]

Poor Service

Poor Service

I found the two stories interesting.
Here in Australia large corporates bang on with advertisements about improved customer service, I can say its usually not better for the customer just cheaper for them and that is improved customer service.
Because all the large corporates in the same line of business are engaging in the same thing, there is no choice only bad service or more bad service.

 

[hensylee]

it isn't the individual customer anymore; it's the bottom line. shame.......

 

[abbanabba]

Honestly, it's really sad when you actually receive good service and you're amazed! And sadly it's not just the big boys who are guilty.

Which is why I thought it would be a great idea to start a consulting company for these businesses to show them how to drastically improve their bottom line by improving their customer relations. Surely that would be a new and novel approach!


A : )

 

[geebee]

I work for an IT consulting company that does not use voice mail or automated phone answering. I thought it was strange when I started here but using the personal touch makes people much happier. However, we still get people who respond with: "What do you mean you don't have voice mail?"

 

[Guest]

That guy brought up a point I made to my kids not terribly long ago when the new houses started springing up everywhere around here. I'm talking houses that run anywhere from $200,00 to $2,000,000. Tons and tons of them. We were driving through the neighborhoods looking and I remarked at the time, "People can't possibly have this much money that they can afford all these houses, something tells me the banks are going to get stuck with a lot of mortgage notes when this whole thing collapses." Sad when you see it coming, but people still went ahead and did it anyway.

Yep.

Ironically, that is the type of houses being built between Elgin and Plato Center, where my older 4 MCs are stored. When I first put 'em out there, it was an easy 10 minute drive. Now, with lower speedlimits and more homes/businesses along the way, it takes upwards of 20 minutes.

it isn't the individual customer anymore; it's the bottom line. shame.......

Yes, it is a shame.


And, Gina ... that personal touch makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? Sounds strange to NOT use technology (in that case, voice mail), but when it comes down to it ... personal is usually better....



Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...W Grill meal = 02/28/09
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"No good news in the news this morning" ... Lacy J Dalton ... 'Black Coffee'