Some Great Experiences
... and some not so good ones.
Some great and some less great experiences happened yesterday. I am subscribing to some internet newsletters written by Tracy - a motivational management guru who supports personal, financial, entrepreneurial, management, and time management improvements. I think I receive about one or two newsletters each per week. They are good, the guy is good. Interesting, with action examples and some have actually inspired me – something that doesn’t happen too much with many offerings from the web. He is also a famous author, has published lots and lots of books. I would believe a lot of people are aware of him. Now, he sent a couple of mails yesterday and some were repetitive. He than followed up with an apologetic mail, saying that because of a mistake in his system, mails have been shot off to subscribers repeatedly. To make up, he offered a document for free that normally would cost something – a lot. And he stated that it is free but that soon, it would cost something. All alright, in the light of customer delight. Something that is not found all the time, and is probably still lacking in places not that advanced in customer orientation – think Malaysia. But what was disturbing was that the offer also let to a webpage, where another motivational guru was pushing his products. My opinion? If you want to apologise, do so sincerely, as the experience was diluted through the follow-up cross-selling push.
I am drinking some Malaysian tea, called Teh Tarik, nearly every afternoon, at around 4.00 PM from a hawker stall that is located down the lane at our office. It helps me to clear my thoughts, get some new inspirations, and new energy for the remainder of the day. And it is nice to observe people going about their business – watching the hawkers working. The Teh Tarik Stall - is ran by three brothers – but only two of them are constantly around. The third one, who is not always around, is specially customer oriented.
Yesterday, their business was booming. All the tables were packed, and it didn’t look as if any of the customers would leave soon. Additionally there were the four of us. However, at one table, there were two guys enjoying their tea, with one table standing right next to them, which was vacant. The owner-guy took this empty table and moved it away and organised the chairs for us. Some of us were a bit doubtful about the location – it was right next to a construction site with a crane hovering over us and we didn’t want to sit too close to it – an accident is always possible. So instead of grumbling, what many would have done, he grabbed the table, and took it across the road, to the other tables, and moved it to a location further away. Next, he organised additional chairs for us so that all of us could sit. An earlier situation underlines his passion for customers. I normally take a donut with my tea. But when the American Donuts ones ran out one day, he gave us the Malaysian – just like that and said, we should try those. Okay, we had to pay for it when the guy was gone and his brother billed us, but okay. His brothers are also good, by the way. Frequently, we just sit down, and our tea comes automatically, and always with less sugar than the normal, sweet one – anybody needs good management?
ddd
Another let down came from the school our kid is enrolled in – he is starting primary school next year. The school is a so-called Smart School – according to the new concept of the government a school that supports a high-tech attitude and creativity from the pupils. Young kids get to know the computer with several computer lessons over the week, cafeteria purchases are made with a microchip – so no cash payments, and my kid would sign in in the morning and out in the afternoon, when he leaves school - and I would receive an e-mail when he arrives or leaves. Great concept. BT – and there is very often a but to a good concept. They had a seminar for parents last Friday, July 12, from 10.00-12.00 AM – I received the related e-mail on Monday, July 15, and realised that the invitation was send off on Friday, at 12.45 PM – thus 45 minutes after the seminar ended. I sent an inquiry, and ask, how this could happen – and still no response, two days later. Makes me think!!
... and some not so good ones.
Some great and some less great experiences happened yesterday. I am subscribing to some internet newsletters written by Tracy - a motivational management guru who supports personal, financial, entrepreneurial, management, and time management improvements. I think I receive about one or two newsletters each per week. They are good, the guy is good. Interesting, with action examples and some have actually inspired me – something that doesn’t happen too much with many offerings from the web. He is also a famous author, has published lots and lots of books. I would believe a lot of people are aware of him. Now, he sent a couple of mails yesterday and some were repetitive. He than followed up with an apologetic mail, saying that because of a mistake in his system, mails have been shot off to subscribers repeatedly. To make up, he offered a document for free that normally would cost something – a lot. And he stated that it is free but that soon, it would cost something. All alright, in the light of customer delight. Something that is not found all the time, and is probably still lacking in places not that advanced in customer orientation – think Malaysia. But what was disturbing was that the offer also let to a webpage, where another motivational guru was pushing his products. My opinion? If you want to apologise, do so sincerely, as the experience was diluted through the follow-up cross-selling push.
I am drinking some Malaysian tea, called Teh Tarik, nearly every afternoon, at around 4.00 PM from a hawker stall that is located down the lane at our office. It helps me to clear my thoughts, get some new inspirations, and new energy for the remainder of the day. And it is nice to observe people going about their business – watching the hawkers working. The Teh Tarik Stall - is ran by three brothers – but only two of them are constantly around. The third one, who is not always around, is specially customer oriented.
Yesterday, their business was booming. All the tables were packed, and it didn’t look as if any of the customers would leave soon. Additionally there were the four of us. However, at one table, there were two guys enjoying their tea, with one table standing right next to them, which was vacant. The owner-guy took this empty table and moved it away and organised the chairs for us. Some of us were a bit doubtful about the location – it was right next to a construction site with a crane hovering over us and we didn’t want to sit too close to it – an accident is always possible. So instead of grumbling, what many would have done, he grabbed the table, and took it across the road, to the other tables, and moved it to a location further away. Next, he organised additional chairs for us so that all of us could sit. An earlier situation underlines his passion for customers. I normally take a donut with my tea. But when the American Donuts ones ran out one day, he gave us the Malaysian – just like that and said, we should try those. Okay, we had to pay for it when the guy was gone and his brother billed us, but okay. His brothers are also good, by the way. Frequently, we just sit down, and our tea comes automatically, and always with less sugar than the normal, sweet one – anybody needs good management?
ddd
Another let down came from the school our kid is enrolled in – he is starting primary school next year. The school is a so-called Smart School – according to the new concept of the government a school that supports a high-tech attitude and creativity from the pupils. Young kids get to know the computer with several computer lessons over the week, cafeteria purchases are made with a microchip – so no cash payments, and my kid would sign in in the morning and out in the afternoon, when he leaves school - and I would receive an e-mail when he arrives or leaves. Great concept. BT – and there is very often a but to a good concept. They had a seminar for parents last Friday, July 12, from 10.00-12.00 AM – I received the related e-mail on Monday, July 15, and realised that the invitation was send off on Friday, at 12.45 PM – thus 45 minutes after the seminar ended. I sent an inquiry, and ask, how this could happen – and still no response, two days later. Makes me think!!
posted by Andreas @ 10:30 pm
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