# The importance of customer care!



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

This may not be of use to many people, but I thought I would vent steam, and it may remind those of us in business just how important good customer service is (especially in the current economic crisis)

Today I experienced the worst episode of customer care I have ever encountered and it really got me thinking. Let me tell you....

As those of you who live in Spain will know, parking in the towns, especially in the summer months is almost impossible. I therefore decided a few months ago to invest in a scooter. Now don't laugh, they are very common out here and I need to get to clients without a 40 mile hike from the car! It was a nice scooter, brand new, shiney and black..me gusta mucho! With the bike, accessories, insurance, and all the other bits and bobs I spent a pretty penny on the day i bought that, and since they have had more pretty pennies in servicing etc.

Anyway, Yesterday it broke down....dead as a dodo...kaput. What did I do? Naturally I called the dealer who sold it to me to ask for advice. They kindly offered to collect it this morning and take it to their workshops for repair. This morning, I received the call as promised, the bike was collected and a few hours later they called again to say it was ready for collection. I made my way to the shop to collect the bike and was told that actually it was only a fuse causing the problem and it had been fixed.. I was then presented with a factura (invoice) for over 40 euros for collection.

Naturally, I was unhappy with this, nobody mentioned a fee to me when I called. I spent a few thousand euros with this shop and the goods stopped working less then 5 months (and less than 2000km) after the purchase. I felt within my rights that the shop would colelct it, repair it, and not charge me. I was told I should have called my insurance for recovery. I explained that it would have been nice for them to have suggested this when I called (especially considering they aranged the insurance so knew the policy). Anyway, she shouted at me a lot (in English), and demanded I paid. When I politely refused she called for another man who shouted at me a lot (in Spanish). We had a heated debate in spanglish and the outcome of that was that I was "loco" and "gone in the head" (yes he used those words) to even think they would recover it for free. I should add that the shop is only a 15 minute drive from my house! 

After I stood my ground the lady duly screwed up the invoice, threw it at me, and told me to "f*** off" out of the shop and never return (yes she did use that word). I should add that the display she made was in front of several potential customers who were browsing motorcycles (although by the time the show was over they seemed to have dissapeared.. I wonder why!)

What they didn't know was the in order to get to the shop to collect the bike I needed someone to take me, I asked a friend to do this because he was thinking of making a purchase of a bike soon. Naturally I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to introduce him to the shop I used. As you can imagine, he walked out and said he would never buy anything from them! So...they sell me a bike, take my money, and it packs up. They don't even have the courtesy to collect it without warning me of a possible charge, and without suggesting I call my insueres. Then they scream abuse at me (multilingual abuse) when I query the fairness of their invoice. To be frank, if they had advised of a collection charge I may have considered paying it (or called the insureres to see if I had recovery - which I have checked and i DO HAVE and THEY SOLD ME THE INSURANCE!!!).

As a result they lost at least one sale of a new motorcycle, they have lost my custom (services, future bikes, etc), and that's without mentioning the potential sales from people I could (and would) have recommended to them. The moral of the story, customer care is of paramount importance. Treat your clients with a smile, go the extra mile, make them happy. If there is something the customer is not happy about then see if you can stay calm and reach a compromise... otherwise the consequences can be severe!

I should also point out that the helmet I bought fell apart on the 2nd day I owned it. A washer was missing from manufactur causing the visor and front (which liftf) to work loose and with the opening and closing motion, randomly fall off (very dangerous at speed). They said they couldnt replace it because law in spain doesnt require that (bull ****), but instead suggested I superglued it together. I never did superglue it, instead I tighten the loose screw 3 times a week (hassle). Today I also mentioned the helmet again and how unhappy I was and they offered to order the missing part (the helmet rep was there at the time), and said I shoudl be thankful they are not charging me for admin to order it... ermm hello.. goods not fit for purpose,, faulty manufactur.. over 100 euros for something thats nakered from day one!... anyway...

I was well within my rights to be upset, and I remained calm, yet clearly made them aware of my unhappiness and the reasons for this. Having said that, even if I had kicked, screamed, thrown a tantrum, and givem them the "f" word (none of which I did), the staff of the shop shoudl retain professionalism and deal with the situation - not throw their dummy out of the pram and start throwing things at me and hurling abuse! All over a 40 euro invoice! OK so it costs them to recover it (maybe a fiver in fuel) but think what I spent, and think what they have now lost!!!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Oh dear, what a horror story. I can see why you needed to let off steam! What are you going to do about it? Report them to the consumer protection people?


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> Oh dear, what a horror story. I can see why you needed to let off steam! What are you going to do about it? Report them to the consumer protection people?


Possibly, I have emailed the guy I usually deal with at the firm, explaining the situation and kindly asking for an apology in order to retain my future business. We shall see the outcome of that fisrt... and if not.....god help them! I have been asked by a local newspaper if I will consider writing a monthly "in business" section... if I do go ahead with this then I think the "name and shame lesson in customer care" may be my first article!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Well good luck - they may have just been having a particularly bad day and you were the last straw!

The company I used to work for in the UK sent all the sales staff on a customer service training course; to learn how to control your temper dealing with idiot customers (not that you were one of those of course) and how to make sure they feel they have been listened to. I think courses of this kind might be useful in certain companies here - I'm thinking Telefonica, Ikea and Carrefour ... 

On the downside you get all these complete strangers asking if you've had a nice day, as if they've known you for years, and whether there is _anything else_ they can help you with, when they haven't actually helped you with the thing you wanted help with in the first place!

It's nice when good customer service comes naturally, and thankfully most of the time it does.


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## pensionista (Sep 6, 2010)

steve_in_spain said:


> Possibly, I have emailed the guy I usually deal with at the firm, explaining the situation and kindly asking for an apology in order to retain my future business. We shall see the outcome of that fisrt... and if not.....god help them! I have been asked by a local newspaper if I will consider writing a monthly "in business" section... if I do go ahead with this then I think the "name and shame lesson in customer care" may be my first article!


Don't think Consumer Protection will help you...without boring you with a long story about a €800 TV I bought and was refused any help at all when it broke down.....in spite of ...or should I say because of CP. They were totally useless and did not get involved at all....even after I complained about them. After 1 year of threats, arguments, insults, we just walked away and bought a new TV.
I love Spain in many many ways but customer care is one area where they need to get their act together. I tire daily of surly shop assistants , change being banged down, total lack of smiles, indifferent waiters/waitresses.
We were in retail for 20 odd years and cannot stress enough the importance of making a customer feel wanted and important. Unfortunately, Spain has yet to learn this lesson.
I realise this does not apply carte blanche but, generally speaking, things need to improve.


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## JeanP (Sep 11, 2010)

Strangely on my previous trip to Spain (which was a holiday) I found that customer care was horrible, I actually took it with a pinch of salt being it was peak season. So I thought well why not, they getting tons of tourists asking dumb questions etc...so naturally patience will be a bit thin.

Steve I am actually shocked with the response you have gotten from the above mentioned, even though SA is nothing to brag about on the customer relation side of things but if a secretary, shop assistant or trained moneky has to speak to a customer like that, they will be in a heap of trouble.

I like your idea of naming the company, we have similar stories over here and they have proved to be very useful with the proper investigation of course.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hi Steve!
I can see why you wanted to get that off your chest! :shocked: Well done for staying calm throughout it - that really is a plus for you!
I wouldn't name and shame though, if I were you. Putting things like this in black and white and making it public moves you into a whole new sphere. Unless you've got hard facts to back you up they'd probably be able to sue you, and I don't think you want to go there...
I would ask other scooter owners where _they_ go, get recommendations and try them out. Your revenge/ satisfaction will have to come from bad mouthing :gossip: them to friends and acquaintances and knowing that they are losing valuable custom. May be next time you should buy a :car:!!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

The bikes 5 months old , under gtee, they claim from the manufacturer, end of story. No Spaniard I know would even consider paying but then they probably would have called the grua from the ins. co. anyway ,as they know .


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## Guest (Oct 6, 2010)

gus-lopez said:


> The bikes 5 months old , under gtee, they claim from the manufacturer, end of story. No Spaniard I know would even consider paying but then *they probably would have called the grua from the ins. co. anyway ,as they know *.


Exactly. They likely didn't inform you because they figured you knew - just like José Marí down the road would know.

It seems as if there's serious cultural differences at play here. Ever seen a "heated debate" like this between a Spanish shop owner and a Spanish customer before? Saw one in the butcher's one day and thought a meat cleaver was going to come over the counter. And then, as the lady left, everything seemed ok between customer and owner... 

I'm starting to wonder if the fights are a secret national sport they don't let us guiris in on.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

gus-lopez said:


> The bikes 5 months old , under gtee, they claim from the manufacturer, end of story. No Spaniard I know would even consider paying but then they probably would have called the grua from the ins. co. anyway ,as they know .


Thats what i thought - but they said it was something to do with a fuse - no guarantee... in my book, ANYTHING that blows after 5 months is guarantee!!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> The bikes 5 months old , under gtee, they claim from the manufacturer, end of story. No Spaniard I know would even consider paying but then they probably would have called the grua from the ins. co. anyway ,as they know .


Ok Ok you're right, after 5 months it's still under guarantee. But I had understood they screwed the bill up (and threw it at steve) so they're not expecting him to pay it now, are they?
In my post (#7) I was just referring to not naming and shaming, but of course you should not pay and should find out what the guarantee covers and what the insurance covers


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

I lived in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2008 (yes I know I mention it often) and in 1995 shop assitants could ignore you, be rude ( one told me to go. away i was too fat and the clothes they sold were for slim people. my wife dragged me out the shop before the reality of what was said sank in) later after the SARS crisis thisw sort of thing would get a sales assistant fired


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> I lived in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2008 (yes I know I mention it often) and in 1995 shop assitants could ignore you, be rude ( one told me to go. away i was too fat and the clothes they sold were for slim people. my wife dragged me out the shop before the reality of what was said sank in) later after the SARS crisis thisw sort of thing would get a sales assistant fired


But why did SARS change everything? Did the economy drop and they needed all the customers they could get??


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

steve_in_spain said:


> Thats what i thought - but they said it was something to do with a fuse - no guarantee... in my book, ANYTHING that blows after 5 months is guarantee!!!


Hi Steve.
No you are wrong, a fuse is a consumable (like a bulb) and as such will never come under warranty (normally)
You would normally be expected to check the fuses before calling the grua/dealer etc, but of course that in no way excuses the bad reception you talk about.


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

Thats awful!!! Good customer service in Spain im afraid isnt the best. I think out of all the places El Corte Ingles is the best. We were just talking about this the other day in work. I work in the golf industry and can you believe it when you call some golf courses they answer the telephone DIGA? instead of saying the name of the course, can I help you etc. So unprofessional if you ask me.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> But why did SARS change everything? Did the economy drop and they needed all the customers they could get??


That was pretty much the case..... tourism fell to an all time low, demand for products from or shipped through HK fell and the government actually launched quite a "hard hitting" campaign about customer service and it did work.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

playamonte said:


> Hi Steve.
> No you are wrong, a fuse is a consumable (like a bulb) and as such will never come under warranty (normally)
> You would normally be expected to check the fuses before calling the grua/dealer etc, but of course that in no way excuses the bad reception you talk about.


No , with new vehicles if you start fiddling they can then say , "it's something that you've done ". Everything is under gtee; even bulbs & for 2 years , they don't mention that either ! ( this is why with a new car they love selling you a 3 year warranty because you're paying for the 2nd year that was already covered .lol. ) Yes, I've had times when I've asked why they haven't told me something Or that I needed some piece of paper & the reply is always " but everyone knows ! " Yes, If you're Spanish.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

gus-lopez said:


> No , with new vehicles if you start fiddling they can then say , "it's something that you've done ". Everything is under gtee; even bulbs & for 2 years , they don't mention that either ! ( this is why with a new car they love selling you a 3 year warranty because you're paying for the 2nd year that was already covered .lol. ) Yes, I've had times when I've asked why they haven't told me something Or that I needed some piece of paper & the reply is always " but everyone knows ! " Yes, If you're Spanish.


Thanks for that, (and thanks to everyone who has replied) - nice to see people taking an interest in this and offering their opinions!

Incidently, they use the "everyone knows this in spain" rule BUT the business owners and english! Even less excuses I think! My feeling, whether a fuse is covered or not, if you spend all that money with a firm, recommend several people (as I have), and then something goes wrong, GOOD customer care would be to nip out, collect it, put it right, maybe even give it a wipe over with a damp cloth and return it to the customer. Maybe even point out that technically it isnt warranty items BUT that as a gesture of goodwill they are fixing it for free!

(That or say "check your fuses" when I call!)

AND... if it was something that simple. why didnt the "mechanic" that came to collect it check before loading it into his van? Oh yes.. that was because he couldn't find the fuses 

I shall await the response from my email and update you all!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

"I shall await the response from my email and update you all! "

I hope they reply then as I've never managed to get replies to any e-mails , even when I was wanting to purchase stuff !


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## geez (Apr 4, 2010)

Hi Steve,

Does the shop have an online presence? If so, you can always post reviews of your (lack of) service encounter in online reviews. The demographic for bikes stores is much more likely to access this sort of customer feedback online. Not sure if I'm alone in thinking this, but it is generally considered that you have lost face if you resort to screaming or abuse (at least here in the Basque country and Cataluna, where I've lived most of the time).

I'd cover your experience in your column (congrats, BTW) and the ed should be able to advise you if you are open to libel if you name the firm. I read a consumer mag regularly and they have a nice little feature that presents a customer horror story as well as a great example of customer service. It's awful to feel that you have been abused as a consumer and despite Spain's consumer laws being a bit crap, my experience with customer service here is pretty positive. A woman fixed my umbrella recently and kept her shop open longer than she intended to as she had inadvertently told me to return at the wrong time. She did a perfect repair, gave it a bit of a spritz and charged me... 0.50c. It would be lovely to be able to have a forum to recommend this little shopkeeper.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

geez said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> Does the shop have an online presence? If so, you can always post reviews of your (lack of) service encounter in online reviews. The demographic for bikes stores is much more likely to access this sort of customer feedback online. Not sure if I'm alone in thinking this, but it is generally considered that you have lost face if you resort to screaming or abuse (at least here in the Basque country and Cataluna, where I've lived most of the time).
> 
> I'd cover your experience in your column (congrats, BTW) and the ed should be able to advise you if you are open to libel if you name the firm. I read a consumer mag regularly and they have a nice little feature that presents a customer horror story as well as a great example of customer service. It's awful to feel that you have been abused as a consumer and despite Spain's consumer laws being a bit crap, my experience with customer service here is pretty positive. A woman fixed my umbrella recently and kept her shop open longer than she intended to as she had inadvertently told me to return at the wrong time. She did a perfect repair, gave it a bit of a spritz and charged me... 0.50c. It would be lovely to be able to have a forum to recommend this little shopkeeper.


Sadly they don't have a website (if they do it has some wierd URL that I can't find). Incidently, so far 24 hrs later, no reply to email. I think actually naming them would be higly unprofessional, but refering to the part of town they are in may just give the game away hehe

Lovely story about your umbrella by the way! 0.50c? WOW!  Restores faith in people!I think you should name the shop for that! Don't know how many people are on here from Basque country but I am sure they would all pay her a visit when their brolly breaks!... :clap2:

As I always say... "it takes years to build a good reputation, but you can get a bad one with just one upset customer" - "give good service and the client may tell someone, give excellent service, they may tell a few people, but give crap service and they will tell the world"


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