Customer Service; Past And Present

Darlings, I have been going over this week's schedule. Again this week, I have to pencil in some time to correct another customer service error. I have noticed that since September, I have had to chase down customer service mistakes on a weekly basis. As frequent as this problem has been, I have put enough time in that I should have a full time paid postition. Darlings, I mean these are customer service mistakes made against me that could prove to be costly for my pocket book. I am not only inconvienced, I am alarmed at the attitudes that accompany these mistakes. Furthemore, the entities from where the errors occur concern me as well. Then when I take the initiative to call those entities, I, like you, get a recording. I have also observed that when you get a live human being, they frequently do not show up for work on Monday's and Friday's or even worse, fail to return calls. When this happens, I take the "secret weapon", called paper work, and make my infamous unannounced visit to these places of business. I actually got so fed up with a gentleman refusing to return my calls or cancelling appointments without a follow up, that I actually walked into his office unannounced, found him asleep, beelined to his desk, picked up his phone and stated "I see there are no technical problems with your phone and apparently the phone bill has been paid. Why have you failed to return my calls? Why have you ignored appointments that you have made with me" No one should have to encounter customer service errors as often and in the manner as I have in the past. I am sure that you are no stranger to such treatment. I am also sure that in years past, you have encountered much better service than what transpires in businesses today. We employ more technology under the guise of improving customer service only to find that it is worse. Remember the days when you did business with with your local supermarket, post office, physician, hospital, feed store, school, etc. and you were treated like a valued AND regular customer? I think you and I can kiss those days goodbye. Therefore, I chose to go back through my photo archives and share with you my past memories of true customer service. I hope to bring to the older reader some fond memories. For the younger readers, I hope to inspire your work ethics. For those of your who haven't a care in the world, I hope to bring conviction.

Darlings, as a child running around Whitesburg, Kentucky, I got the best lessons in life by watching my elders. I had never observed such responsible, hard working people in my life as my family. My people where those who worked so hard and yet had so little. I did not understand the use of indoor plumbing, telephones, refrigeration, furnaces, air conditioners and sometimes, electricity, until the 1980's. Cable, cell phones and the internet are gradually getting noticed in those hollers as I write this. Why? Many of us could not afford these luxuries that are taken for granted today by the human race. If the opportunity for these luxuries ever came our way, we were somewhat intimidated by these. Still, we were never without. My Mother had shared with me what life was like for her growing up poor. She used the backs of calender leaves for school paper as she attended a one room school in the mountains. Coal banks and wells were used for refrigeration. Air conditioning was open windows or a shade tree. Washers we used were of the old ringer type out on the porch when weather permitted. For hot baths, water was boiled on old coal stoves and of course there was the infamous lye soap. My point? We did not have the lousy customer service issues that comes with these modern luxeries today. Life, though hard, did not become a burden without these conviences. My aunt's Reneva and Oma never had much to speak of but they were never without and never complained. Nor did they have any desire to leave those hollers (spelled like we say "hollows) Though gone, their lives truly insire me to this day.

However, as I found some fairly recent photos of old businesses around Whitesburg in which my family had a good relationship. Though we did not have much in material terms, we had a good reputation that small businesses would extend credit to our elder relatives. Here are just a few examples.

Grandpa Adams was a coal miner and blacksmith. Though he has be gone for many years, the old timers still speak highly of him today. Their testimonies of Grandpa really humble me. I must be honest, I will rely on my late father's testimony regarding the little Mom and Pop stores in and around Whitesburg.

Like all coal miners down home, business was done in the coal camp. For the historically challenged, coal companies owned everything. This means that coal miners and their families had a company doctor, company school, company shoe store, company store, etc. Coal camps created most small towns in Souteastern Kentucky because of the camp business layout. A coal miner could get an advance on his pay with the use of "scrip", a coal company's issue of currency with it's company name and logo on it. If there was a family need, Grandpa would obtain the neccessity there in the coal camp with an advance on his pay.

After Grandpa Adams passed on, Grandma relied on SSI. It is said when she passed on in 1971, she survived on sixty-six dollars a month. If she struggled finacially, I never knew. I do know that every time my brothers and I were at her old homestead, we had a home cooked meal. She some how managed to always give us a bottle of seven-up and a milkyway bar. I have no idea how she could afford such commodities. She just enjoyed giving these to us every time we came over.

Grandpa Sexton, a coal miner and school teacher had the same advantages but sold his home made whiskey on the side. Grandmother Sexton made extra money by selling her eggs and home made quilts in town. She had the distinct priviledge of working for Dawahares, the southern version of Macy's (see photo).

Dawahares was founded in Neon decades ago by a Jewish Syrian immigrant named, Surur Dawahare. He fled his home country due to religious persecution. Mr. Dawahare began his business as a pack peddler within the coal camps. Some of my aunts and uncles remember when he travelled around the mountains selling merchandise out of two suitcases. He built up enough capital that he opened his first store in Neon, 1935. The second store opened in Whitesburg, now considered the home base. Mr. Dawahare took great care of his customers because he knew in those days that customer loyalty to a specific business did not go elsewhere to do business. He treated his customers as friends. Grandmother Sexton served as Mr. Dawahare's housekeeper and they got along well. My Mother and I stop in Dawahares whenever we go down home. She had mentioned to a employee that Grandma worked for Mr. Dawahare. That dear lady actually remembered my Grandmother by her first name, Ella. Grandma's service was to Mr. Dawahare was remembered at her funeral in 1979. My Mother remembers Mr. Dawahare's oldest son, Willie, who runs the business today with stores throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Not only did my grandparents have good relationships with small area businesses, but so did my own father. Dad was famous for paying for our needs up front. He was a good customer everywhere he went. Dad was so outgoing that over the years business owners and their customers would be at our supper table. We grew up thinking it is normal to make friends at the check out line. Business always knew us by our first names and took great care of us. We still think this is normal today and anything less than this is considered rude.

While we never had much, businesses valued regular patronage because our reputation to pay the bills. Mom and pop stores would extend a little credit because they knew it would be paid with a coal miner's pay, selling fresh killed farm meat, produce, quilts or whatever legal resource we could find. Businesses of long ago knew there are going to be some rough times. I had seen many hard times in the family but as kids growing up, we were never without. I once learned from my uncle Andrew that he went through a layoff at General Motors. He instantly called all his creditors to let them know of his situation. His creditors were all too happy to work with him because he had a history of paying his bills. Though retired for many years, he will tell you that he is not without and he took great care of his family. Countless times I had been in their house when Aunt Shirley would bring him the mail. He would examine the bills, make sure they were acurate, hand them back to Aunt Shirley and tell her get the checkbook and pay the bills. Aunt Shirley passed on this past March but I'm sure Uncle Andrew still follows what he disciplined himself to do all of his life-pay the bills as soon as they arrive. I never saw them squander anything. They only cared for that which they needed and nothing more. He taught me to that if you have a good relationship with your creditors and hardships come your way, and they will come your way, never, ever avoid your creditors. They understand hardships and will be happy to work with you. Lesson well learned but often ignored today.

Wish I could say the same for customer service today. Patronage is no longer valued. Customers tend to be treated like a nuisance or enemy. Like most people, I do not expect customer service to part the Red Sea nor rearrange the furniture but I do expect courtesy. Sometimes I feel like I have to drag courtesy out of a business. I may not spend a gajillion dollars in a business but I am there to do business. What if people like me frequent your business all day? All week? All Year? It adds up for you financially. If you treat me like a doormat, I will let your boss know. If you are the boss and you treat me like a doormat, I will put you in my blog and you know it.

Darlings, when money changes from my hands to yours, this is customer service. Sad to say, this concept went out in the slop bucket a long time ago. Here are just a few examples of what I have experienced since October 31, 2006:

First, the nurse at McCollough Hyde hospital walked into pre-op with tentacles. She used her awful attitude to insert an IV into my arm. In the past, nurses who claim to have trouble inserting needles in my arms either switch to another arm or get another nurse to help. Some nurses are so good at inserting needles that I can't tell a needle was ever in there. It all depends on who is doing the needles. This nameless nurse was so awful after killing my arm that I requested another nurse. This awful nurse made no sincere attempt to apologize. She should have just stayed home that day.

Next, I was required to do a follow up visit at Dr. Stein's office in Oxford. Darlings may I say to you if you love cats and a quick witty sense of humor, you must make it a point to meet Dr. Stein. He has a spectacular sense of humor! However, he does have a pack of "Taliban" women working for him and I told him this. Before the appointment, I went to the billing lady to update some insurance changes which will benefit me. Keep in mine this was a courtesy. The only problem was I had not recieved my insurance card as of that day. Sherry, now known as the "Blair Witch Project," pitched a fit after I explained seven or eight times how she can still get the insurance information. She insisted that I was going to pay $107 in full before I was allowed to see Dr. Stein. No way Geraldine! She called the insurance company and they told her what had spent about a half an hour explaining. When all was done and over, Sherry made me late for an appoinment that could have been billed and rescheduled. I told them they are going to honor this appointment as scheduled. Guess what? Sherry made no attempt whatsoever to apologize. Later, I went to McCulough Hyde hospital to pay my share of the bills. The staff there indicated that while they think a lot of Dr. Stein, they will not go back to his office because they have been treated the same way as I was treated. Sherry and other "Taliban" women...Dr. Stein is a wonderful doctor but you are going to kill his practice. You pack of women are not fit to work in a local animal shelter.

Here is a good one. The Middletown City tax department sent me a letter last week stating I did not pay taxes for 2004. Took me two seconds to pull those tax records. I went straight to this office, gave a lady that letter. Then she looked at me and claimed they had no record of me filing taxes for said year. I responded by holding up a packet stating "Now, this is everything that was filed for 2004". She refused to admit the error was in that office. I then said "Look, the error is yours. Since this office is not going to offer an apology, could you draw up a letter stating that this matter has been resolved by this office?"

Of course in my previous blog there was the incident at Dr. Ulyshen's office regarding the service Moo and I received last Thursday.

There are countless other service inconveniences that I could go on with as I am sure you can do the same. I have learned to provide feedback through the appropriate channels involving good and bad service. I always keep paperwork to back me up. I always remember, if I have been treated bad, chances are you have been treated the same. If someone has good attitude toward me, I promise I will let their superiors aware of it. Remember, good and bad service does get registered with the BBB and it goes in your employee file. I will personally see to it. Why? I built up a solid work history based on how I treated people. I was not always perfect but I had a boss that would let me know. As a result, I grew from that feedback. Many could care less about this today. Just go into a fast food restaurant or a local supermarket and ask for help. Commonly, missing is politeness. Next, and I find this irritating, an attitude from employee that looks and acts like they would rather be some place else. Dress codes are down right pitiful. You have girls wearing skimpy clothing when it is two degress outside. I'm sorry, I don't want you serving my french fires with puss coming out of your lip piercing. When I say "sir" and "mam" I say that without apology so don't correct me. When I say "thankyou", you are to say "You're welcome". My name is not "Hey you" but you may call me "mam" or "miss". When I am talking to you, look at me and listen so I do not have to come back to fix mistakes you made because you had your head somewhere else. If you have a problem getting along with people or just have an attitude like "The Blair Witch Project" consider finding work with as little contact with the public. Better yet, adjust your attitude because you will have contact with a human called your "Boss" who will decide your future employment. Go to work when you are scheduled then you will appreciate your pay check. Next you will pay your bills regularly then maybe, just maybe, you will appreciate me and other customers. Finally, there are you customers that do think when you walk into a business that customer services shoud bend down and kiss your feet. Stop doing this because you are going to upset that representative. Then when I walk in I will have to bear the brunt of both of your rotten attitudes.

I would like to conclude by saying that I think we can look at one of the best customer service examples on the planet. This would be one of my favorite examples in my life. This would be a business relationship that has often been ignored and remains taken for granted today. This relationship would be between a feedmill and a farmer. Feedmills, though hard to come by in this region, valued a successful farmer and took great care of him. This was an honest friendship as well that I always enjoyed watching. Today, not only is the American farmer fading into history but I think the generation coming up is clueless as to who he is maybe considering him as part of a fairy tale. I'll say that I have more respect for an Indaina hog farmer than I do for AK CEO's here in Middletown. Chances of a farmer going to congress for bankruptcy protection are slim but I'm sure the bank would swoop over his farm in a heart beat if he encountered a hardship.

Darlings, let's face it, the days of a handshake and promise are gone. In their place is technology that is supposed to make life in the business world better. What do you think? How many times have you come home upset because of the way you were treated despite your good intentions for the day? Thank you for shopping with us.

NOTE: I shot these photos around Letcher County, Kentucky. All locations are within minutes of Whitesburg. Insert: Secondary location of Southeast Coal Company, Millstone, Kentucky; Original location of Dawahare's, Neon, Kentucky; Abandoned general store, HWY 15 Mayking, Kentucky.