Why Good Customer Service is Important

The other day I had to cancel mom's phone line with Verizon. It wasn't the first time I tried to do it, and it was a painful experience. The first time I called was over a weekend. I had to to go through the IVR system that initially made it sound like I could get to someone who could help.

No luck. Boy did I need Fonolo here.

Then I called on a weekday, but while navigating through the decision tree I got sent to no less that four people, all of whom were not the right department for disconnects. It seems internally, even they don't know where to transfer the call because I called from an 858 phone number and Mom's was a 215.

Finally, when I called after getting to our hotel in Philadelphia on Monday afternoon from the hotel landline I was routed farther up the food chain and after three different transfers, one hang up and another call back, i was able to get mom's phone turned off.

Unfortunately, simply asking to disconnect a phone doesn't get their recapture questions out of the way. While I didn't initially say mom had passed away, it did hurt a tad when the very polite person asked if she was in need of phone service where she was going. My answer was a polite, "no, I don't think she will."

I think that was the moment in time that the reality of mom's passing really hit me, as over the last ten days or so before her funeral I really was just numb about the finality of it all.

Bottom line to Customer Service reps. When it's someone's says they want to leave, please don't ask them to stay. While the situation may not be obvious to you as to why, if they want you to know why they're leaving, I'm sure they'll tell you.

On the brighter side of life, I just read Garrett Smith's review of client Truphone and their very exemplary customer service experience he had.