Red is Dead (*sniff)

It is with a heavy heart that I report that Big Red Beta test7” has gone to that big fishbowl in the sky.
What can I say about “O’le Red”? He was a giant among fish. He was an inspiration, to us all. He lived on various desks and was love by all that new him.
He leave behind the support department, and was preceded in death by countless goldfish and a few coi (from my pond)
No service is planned, as he will be sent to his watery resting-place in the men’s room.
Your comments are welcome and donations for a new Mascot can be made at the support department.
Red (sniff) you will be missed
Rest in Peace!

Hurry up and .....Wait!

They tell me in the military you hurry to get in a line (chow or otherwise) to wait. Wait for something , anything to happen. Just like the Military I am waiting. I got stinky with the insurance adjusters the other day and they called back. That was the last I heard. I left them several voice mails and called customer service ( Trish is still neat) and Then it hit me! I will make threats!
I called the adjuster who is supposed to help me with that inventory and told him “ I have left you a voice mail twice a day, everyday for the last 8 days. This will be the last one I leave or the next one will be from the corporate headquarters of the insurance company to your supervisor!”
Two minutes later my phone rang. It was him! His excuse was “My voice mail has been messed up since I got my new number.” I explained I left the messages on Both numbers and there is no excuse for this treatment.
An appointment was made for Saturday. We counted and counted and exchanged lists of items that we had and he had and we are going through the evaluation process. I asked several times when could I start getting the trash (all of everything) out of the Garage and start rebuilding? Oh you can move things and add to the list if you forgot something but because there might be a dispute nothing can be removed.
Now I not only have a burnt out garage, I have two rusting, burnt beyond repair and smelly cars in the driveway with more trash on top of them in the driveway. I’ll bet my neighbors just love me!
So now I wait! He is going out of town this week and “Will work on the list” (If I may inject here) From Disneyland??
No matter what we have started the process and hopefully it won’t be too long. I’m waiting for the city maintenance department to put up one of those clean up or face penalties signs! No matter I got mad and it paid off.
Sometimes it takes getting upset to get something accomplished and in this case it paid off. If the people I have been dealing with in this case worked for me they wouldn’t for very long. We have clients who go out of their way to complain about the smallest of things. Luckily we are there to take care of the issues right here and now or have a place to get done what we cannot.
I don’t like getting mad or being the object of someone else’s anger. I want a peaceful co-existence with everyone from the team to the customer to the wife and kids too. This is a way of life and sometime difficult to maintain. Balance is the key. If we maintain a balance between being supplier and customer, Balance getting and dispensing advise We can overcome the waiting and lesson the pressure we have stored up based on our wants over the wants of others.

Taking Stock

After the fire we started the long process of taking the inventory of things in our garage. Of course ther was the usual stuff like yard tools, camping equipment, the occasional antique from lives gone by and of course tools. We discovered we still have more junk than we really need.
This is part of the learning experience, Learning that you collect more than you give away is not good!

Well The restoration folks and I got together and put fire under the insurance company. Seems they and I have been leaving voice mails all week with no response. Todd The owner asked if there was any other numbers to call. I looked up another one a nice girl named Trish (customer services) ,Todd called her and was handed to her Boss. While on with the supervisor, my phone started ringing. It was the supervisor of the adjuster I was working with.
He began telling me the situation was not resolved then resolved but under investigation. (Confused? So am I!) He told me no matter what it was to be paid for. We on the other hand wanted to know when we could start (gets better) he said the inventory still needed to be done. I told him I couldn’t enter the Garage until they release it to us, his response? Go ahead and take out the cars as they won’t be covered (the other adjuster said one would and the El Camino would be settled otherwise) when he ws informed of this the tone changed, He quoted policy and I let him have it!
I have been with this insurance company 6 years and had one other claim (handled by Trish the customer service person) with the same adjuster Chris. Not a bad experience. But now my house is in shambles cars strewn all over and it’s just a mess.
Then when I was done with the supervisor, the real adjuster Chris called (it gets better, folks). His story was I still don’t know about the cars and I can’t find the third party adjuster but I spoke to him a few minutes ago (see?) and he will call you when he gets in the office! Kurt (third party adjuster) Never called!
Chris was to call me the next day (never called) and The supervisor never called to follow up despite their promises.
I had explained that I work for a communications firm dealing with schools and technical support, was a service advisor and mechanic for over 40 years and would not have been if I communicated as well as they do! He was pleading! “Give us a chance to improve” and that chance is about over. Today I will call Trish and get things done!
I told all of you that in order to be able to help a customer, Think like one. Put yourself in their shoes?
Do you see what happens when you don’t?
To be continued…

Richard Pryor was right Fire is inspirational !

Fire is an inspirational thing that’s what he said after his ordeal and I can attest to that statement with authority.
You may ask what does this have to do with service? Well I am about to give praise where praise is due.
6 Years ago I had a flood in my basement. A company was dispatched to do the clean up. The company wanted extra money to repair things in the rooms that should have been covered by the insurance and 2 months later still nothing was done. I called a plumber to have a separate issue taken care of and he recommended another restoration service.
I called Swan’s Carpet and restoration and within 15 minutes the owner was there and took care of the entire basement from soup to nuts. The level of service was excellent and the personality of the entire company reflected a sense of genuine compassion towards my family’s needs. They were quick and thorough. I called my insurance company with a question related to the problem (after it was fixed) and they fired me! By canceling my policy. I quickly got another company.
Two years ago I was called the basement was flooded again this time it was a faulty water heater. Swans was called before I called my agent. They put my kids in a hotel and repaired all that was needed with even more polish and style by adding a production manager. Jim Purcell is a fine addition to an already outstanding company. With humidity detectors and temperature sensors, they monitored my home from the office and the Internet.
Now comes the Fire in my Garage. I was wakened by a scream by my daughter when she came home from an appointment. I saw the fire and called 911 then my wife. When I got off the phone I turned around and there was Todd and Jim from Swans They saw the smoke from 8 blocks away and knew it was my house.

Guess who is going to fix my house again? Their level of dedication and knack for the personal touch is the high mark of quality.
These are the things we learn about people, the way we like to be treated is a direct reflection on how we do what we do on the help desk. The ways we help with alternative ways of performing a task or the little tips and tricks that make using the system easier. That makes our customers happy. I only hope we can have the dedication, personality, compassion and the experience to satisfy our customers as Swans has satisfied me.