An Eye for Service

Customer service as a topic is frequently featured in my weekly journals. Sometimes the service has been exemplary and other times not so much. The latter version deserves some air time again this week.

My saga began with a bi-annual trip to visit the optometrist in November 2011, a visit that often means an upgrade to the prescription lenses I have worn since childhood. His office is situated within a retail store that sells eyeglass frames and accessories, a place that has been serving my eyewear needs for about 20 years. Typically orders are processed efficiently but my most recent purchase has been quite a different experience.

I should have guessed my order was in trouble when the initial conversation about pricing and insurance was decidedly confusing and totally inaccurate. First I was told that none of the expenses were covered under my health insurance plan so I delayed placing the order until 2012. That way my FSA (Flexible Spending Account) could be tapped to pay the bill. When I showed up on January 6 to place and pay for the order I discovered about half the costs could be reimbursed by insurance. My one month delay might have been avoided but I was going to save some money...or so it seemed. 

The order was placed and paid for with a promised delivery window of about two weeks. When I hadn’t received a call within this timeframe I reached out only to discover the lab had broken my new frames while inserting the lenses. The new order would be expedited with their apologies. “I guess accidents can happen” was my silent reaction. “It just would have been nice to receive a call from the lab about the problem.”

When another two weeks had passed without a word, my next inquiry resulted in a new excuse. The lab workers were on strike and my order was in limbo. I gritted my teeth and patiently waited for word that the order was finally shipped. On February 17 the lab left a message on my cellphone apologizing for the delay and referring to another problem with the frames. Since the caller left no name, my return call to the lab was wasted. “We have 400 employees at this lab. Without a name I can’t really help you,” was the response from an operator.

On February 24 I called the store again for a status report and discovered the lab had actually shipped the lenses, albeit in a woman’s frame. Thus the previously cryptic voice mail message from the lab. Perhaps I should have been given the option of setting a new fashion trend, but alas the delay continues.

The store manager did suggest I should approach my insurance company for some kind of refund when the order arrives. “Perhaps you should do that for me,” was my unspoken response. “Better yet, I should receive a full refund when I pick up the glasses.”

My story illustrates how many leaders and their employees have forgotten the basics of exceptional customer service. They provide false or misleading information about the purchase. They aren’t proactive when problems arise. They blame others for delays and mistakes. They don’t offer to refund deposits or payments when the poor service experience reaches epic proportions. Instead of an eye for service, they turn a blind eye in the hopes that customers will understand.

While the end of this story has yet to be written, one outcome is crystal clear. Both the lab and retail store have lost a customer who was spending about $600 every two years for new eyewear. Maybe they can afford to take this hit but why would any business settle for less than stellar service? Could it be that their own lenses have been clouded by past successes, current workloads, or casual indifference? Or perhaps they just need an eye exam.