Archive for the ‘Customer Service’ Category

This is the second time I flew SAA.The first time I flew SAA things were stolen from my luggage. They got another chance because it was down to price and length of flight, mainly length of flight.

They have no leniency whatsoever when it comes to baggage allowance, as soon as you are over your allowance they are very quick to charge per kilo extra unlike other airlines. This is the deciding factor that I will never fly SAA again and they have lost a customer.

They did make up for it in the fact that the food was pleasant, the flight staff friendly and helpful and the leg room on the plane was better than most airlines but they fail on having only one TV screen for people to share, this does not bother me so much as I tent to take a sleepling tablet and off I go to club duvet.

Will I fly SAA again? Based on there over strict policy on baggage allowance, my answer is no. This is extremely important to me as a custmer. 20 kg’s on a long haul flight is nothing.

Do you think they listen to their customers in the social media world?

Somehow I don’t think so.

What’s been your experience?

I use to be so proud of our doctors, our hospitals and our system because in South Africa, a citizen could walk into any government hospital and get treatment for free.  You would get all the tests you needed and a doctor would give you an answer.    I’m not knocking the doctors or the nurses, actually I feel sad that they have to work under those conditions.

Sadly I have to say that government hospitals in South Africa are a very sad state of affairs. The government has lots of money to spend on the 2010 Soccor Fifa world cup which has no benefit to the people but they cannot afford to have decent clean hospitals.

I had to go to the hospital earlier so that I could get some treatment.  I was horrified and disgusted as to how bad things have gotten here in South Africa.

The hospital was filthy and smelly even the parking lot at a shopping centre is cleaner than the hospital.  It is so unwelcoming, so dirty. You would get sicker just being in that atmosphere.

I could not bring myself to sit there in that reception room and so I left. Now I have to resort to paying for a private doctor which costs a fortune and I know I will need a certain type of medication which is going to also cost a fortune and I don’t have medical aid because I’m living in the UK.  I was angry and upset because as a decent person I have literally nowhere to go unless I pay an arm and a leg to get decent, clean medical attention.

I said to my assistant that they should have a place for the gomgatte and a separate place for people who are prepared to pay what they can or have a standard rate to have clean and decent hospital service so that someone like me does  not have to sit next to someone who smells of alcohol and urine and who seriously needs a bath.  He said to me “but that would be in violation of human rights, they can’t do that!” even though he agreed with me.  My response was “and so what about my human right!  Just because I don’t have medical aid and lots of money, I have to sit next to someone who hasn’t bathed in weeks, reeks of alcohol, urine and has no self respect to clean themselves.

I went down to the Medi Clinic and it was going to cost a minimum of R2,500 just to do the bare minimum and that is excluding the tests that I know they will insist on me having done.  I’ve had them done in the UK already so I know the drill but at least with the NHS it cost me only £9 to have those very expensive tests.

I’m not being nasty, I’m all for human rights but I have a right too and just because I have  self respect to keep myself clean, and tidy and decent now I have to be subjected to that, “is this fair?”  Why can’t private hospitals open their doors to decent people like us and charge us a rate that is affordable so that we too can have decent treatment.  I would’ve gladly paid R200 even up to R500 which is way more than the UK.

I was moaning about the UK NHS system because it is so slow in getting to see a specialist and I cannot see the reason of having to see a doctor first before going to a specialist.  Now, I am grateful that at least I have that option of being able to have access to the NHS because at least it is decent, clean and I don’t feel out of place.  In South Africa I feel like I’ve entered hobo land when I go to the hospital.

What about my human right?  Surely I have the right to have decent medical service.  What about the South Africans who are decent and have self respect, why should they be subject to smelly!  It seems that decent citizens no longer have a right, a say, a voice?

In a post I posted the other day Grant Johnstone asked me a few questions and these are my answers.

“Thanks for sharing! I really would like to have a better understanding of what social media followers expect.”

Social Media followers expect relationships, transparency and hate being sold to.

Can you share what your personal expectations are with regards to the following:

1. What is a good turnaround time?

Depends on the project and the circumstances.

For example if someone has agreed to provide me a service then I expect them to meet the deadline we agreed upon initially. I don’t appreciate delays at all.  If you said you were going to complete work by a certain date then do so, if  due to an unforeseen circumstance know you are going to be delayed then pick up the phone or send an email to say that you are not going to be able to meet the deadline and let the me know when you will be able to complete the work.

If you know that you business is dependent on other people’s services then you need to allow for the fact that they may cause delays which is not your fault but you are still responsible for the end result.

For example:  I work with two Chartered Surveyors who are very precise and very particular in their work.  However they have to rely on various people for information.  They would get very frustrated with a particular supplier because they were always late and always provided the required documentation in the last hour.  This would cause many late nights and lots of unnecessary pressure.  I suggested to them that they set a different/earlier deadline for this particular supplier because they could not just go and choose another supplier.  They started doing this and it helped them tremendously.

Communication is key to providing good quality service. If the communication lines are open and people are communicating, issues can be dealt with and resolved.  I have an incredible team of people and I am extremely grateful to have them working with me because they communicate so well.

What I mean by this is that if I send them an email with a list of tasks to do, they will respond to me the very same day and they will tell me when they can do it and when they will be finished and 9/10 they meet those deadlines.  If something goes wrong they will email me immediately to let me know that something has gone wrong, then I can immediately do damage control.  I communicate this attitude very clearly with people I encounter, rather tell me you cannot do something, then I know I need to make alternative arrangements and I let them know that I will not be upset with them, I will in fact be grateful to them and respect them for their honesty.

These are the kind of people I look to work with because that falls under my ethos and values.  I keep my communication lines open at all times unless I’m sleeping, it is very easy to get in touch with me.  I am available on email, telephone, skype, twitter.  I like my clients to feel looked after and to feel they can depend on me to get the work done.

There is nothing worse than having to chase someone to get things done and nothing worse than having to try and find an alterative solution in the last hour.

I make sure I do my utmost to respond to my clients the same day, even if it is just to say, I am a bit busy and will respond to you as soon as I can.  This means I have seen their request and I’m aware of their request.  I find most of my clients are very flexible because they know that I will have everything done when they need it done by and I will pull out all the stops and work through the night if something urgent comes in to get it sorted for them.  Having this attitude has paid huge dividends, I have client loyalty and my clients work with me and help me to achieve my goals because I’m helping them to achieve their goals, it is not a one way or a selfish relationship.  I feel rather like I’m part of a synergy of people and we are working together to help each other rather than work in isolation.

2. How do you measure a value for money service?

Simply put I don’t mind paying for a service as long as the job is done right, the service is good and the deadline met but I don’t appreciate being ripped off.

3. How do you determine whether what you’ve received is top quality?

Top quality to me again comes in service delivery.  Were you quick to respond to my request?  Did you meet the stipulated deadline? Did you do the job right, with passion and my interest at heart going the extra mile that impressed me so much that I want to tell others about you.

Lastly

I also understand that you and I can for example use the same service where I have a good experience and you have a bad experience.  Yes people do have their bad days and so people need to be understanding, hell I have my bad days too.

Then it could also be chemistry.   For example, there is no right or wrong way of doing something because two people can look at the same object and one person can be convinced something is red and the other person is convinced it is white, who is right?  In the same way someone can think a particular movie is great and another can think that very same movie is not so great.

What does this mean?  We must accept that people are different and that people have different expectations and different ways of working.  I know exactly what and who my ideal client is and by this I mean, what they are like in personality. manner and attitude and if I encounter someone who does not fit, I will be more weary, more cautious and I will avoid taking them on as a client but every now and then I will accept someone as a client I know I should avoid because I just have that gut feeling it is not going to end well and we won’t be working together, it is not being judgemental, I see it as keeping good relations, after years of experience working with many different types of people and learning to understand myself and how I work and fit in, I just realise that some people are going to be like oil and water.

Coming back to this client I had taken on,  we have had a fall out because we don’t work well together.  Fortunately we both are mature enough and believe in personal development and recognise that we don’t fit together in a working relationship but we still connect on a networking and friendship relationship.  We still collaborate and brainstorm together.  There may come a time however, where that can change but for now it is not the right season.

As for people I work with, I know I’m not an easy person to work with and so it takes a certain disciplined type of person to work with me, they are not easy to find but I know the type of people I work well with and I focus my energies in attracting those people iinto my life.

Fluit, fluit my storie is uit.  wow, did not think I had so much to say.

Romany Thresher