There are some companies we all love to hate. The online service provider,
America Online (AOL), tops my list these days. A close second is the cable
company. It seems that no matter where you live in this country, if you
want to watch more than a couple of local stations without buying a
satellite dish, you are hostage to your local cable company. Most of us in
Lancaster, PA are customers of Suburban Cable. If Suburban Cable tops your
list as a company you love to hate, read on.
I contacted Suburban because my bill was incorrect, charging me for a month
I had already paid. I was irritated, thinking of plenty of other things
I'd rather do with my time than hassle with customer service at the cable
company. I reached a customer service rep who resolved the problem quickly
for me, adjusting my bill over the phone. Since I was already speaking to
them, I decided to mention that the picture quality on one of my channels -
channel 9 - had been poor for about a month. To my surprise, she said she'd
send a service technician right out that afternoon to check it out for me.
Accustomed to waiting several hours for a service call, I was surprised to
hear the doorbell ring a few hours later. Jim Lawson, service technician
for Suburban Cable was at my door. I invited him in, and he quickly
assessed that the problem originated with the station in Harrisburg, and
there was nothing that the cable company could do about it.
Jim seemed like a nice man, so I decided to take an emotional risk and
admit a personal weakness. I told Jim a secret - that we had recently
purchased a new VCR, and despite my best efforts and the technical
expertise of my husband, we were still unable to easily program the machine
to record what we wanted to record. I felt silly admitting my inability to
master something so simple. I'm not sure that teaching me how to use my
VCR is part of Jim's job description, but he cheerfully agreed to take a
look at my set. He diagnosed the problem immediately. I was using a cable
box I didn't need that was incompatible with my VCR. He removed the cable
box, reprogrammed my TV so that I could get cable without the box, showed
me how to use the new set up, and then called the cable company to assure
that I received a credit to my account for returning the cable box. My
monthly expense will now be less, I can record exactly what I want, and the
service call from Jim cost me nothing.
Now, when I think of the cable company, I don't just picture a greedy
business with irritating policies and prices. In one visit, Jim helped me
experience that "the Cable Company" is made up of people - some who create
the fees I have come to despise, and others who provide smiling, helpful
advice and service. For a whole lot of people like Jim, the cable company
is not their enemy, but their employer. They work within the constraints
handed them by management to try to make customers happy. They do their
best to change the public's perception that their company is an evil
enterprise. They are more than service technicians - they are ambassadors.
Recently, I had what is a typical experience of waiting on hold for an hour
and fifteen minutes with AOL, trying to resolve a billing problem. The
customer rep on the other end was exceedingly unhelpful, and after all my
waiting, only requested that I call another phone number. She wasn't able
to transfer me, so I would wait another hour trying to get through again.
I was seething with frustration, and tempted to take it out on her with a
few angry words. But then, I felt myself softening and said: "I know that
you are just relaying the process that has been created by your boss, and
that you are powerless to help me. I don't know how you do it - working
for a company that has so many unhappy customers. You must have some
really rough days." Her voice quivered a bit: "Yes," she said. "Some
people say some really horrible things to me. I try not to take it
personally - but it's hard sometimes." I shifted from fury at her, to
disgust at the incompetent systems that AOL has put in place. It wasn't
her fault. I felt sorry for her. I think that woman has one of the
hardest jobs on the planet.
In the future, when I find myself getting angry with a particular business,
I hope I will remember to separate my frustration with "the organization,"
from the individuals who are working within. I will remember that they are
mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, and neighbors. Many are conscientious
professionals like Jim Lawson who are trying to do a good job every day,
despite working for an organization that rightly, or wrongly, has earned a
top spot on most people's "love to hate" list.
Azriela Jaffe - az@azriela.com
Author, Speaker, Columnist, Business Coach
Azriela Jaffe is the nation's leading expert on entrepreneurial couples, and highly sought after by the media for her expertise on the emotional, interpersonal, marital and family concerns of self-employed professionals, entrepreneurial couples, and business partners. She is one of the country's foremost spokespersons on work/family concerns. Azriela is also a recognized expert in reconciling differing levels of Jewish observance in marriage and extended family.
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