RANT: Globe broadband and the concept of customer service
I ranted a while back about how PLDT service sucks.
Now hear me rant about Globe and its incredible (read sarcastically) service.
You see we had acquired a Globe line just this year - preferring to have a landline and broadband service in the same package. The package offered by Globe was too tempting to pass up as it was just the equivalent of a landline subscription. Cheap eh?
Unfortunately, the Taiwan earthquake happened and much to everyone’s dismay, Globe was the least prepared for the destruction it caused to its internet services.
That quake occurred late last year. It has been more than 3 months and Globe’s internet services has not gone back to what it was before. Couple with that, the modem they provided has conked out on us a thousand times. No luck for us getting that replaced as our million or so phone calls have not succeeded in getting heard.
Last night, at about 8pm or so, the service disconnected. I tried to reconnect for 30 minutes but failed. I restarted my laptop and still there was no connection. I restarted the modem more than 10 times and still there was no connection. Simultaneously, I had the phone receiver to my ear waiting for the hotline number to get answered.
The usual automated message will welcome you upon connecting… saying sorry for the service disruption as the internet service was being restored. Finally I was able to catch a rep otherwise I would become the worst victim of LSS to the tune of their background music.
Apparently, there was unplanned restoration work being done in our area resulting in the outage. I inquired about the ETC. She said there was no mention of it in the advisory.
Duh! How can any service disruption not have an ETC? I put the phone down in frustration - which I vented out on my laptop, my table, the sofa, electric fans.. and basically anything that my hands and feet came in contact with. All of them went banging around.
I guess I expect too much of local service providers (i.e Globe, PLDT, local fastfood establishments, malls etc). But working for international clients expose you to the kind of service process that would confirm why the Philippines is called a Third World Country.
Our country has a long way to go towards real “customer service”. It is ironic how call centers - whose primary goal is to serve customers - have flourished in our country when it is apparent that we have yet to learn the true meaning of the term and implement it successfully.
Maybe we should take a cue out of Joel’s take towards achieving remarkable customer service:
- Fix everything two ways
- Suggest blowing out the dust
- Make customers into fans
- Take the blame
- Memorize awkward phrases
- Practice puppetry
- Greed will get you nowhere
Basically, he tells of making sure the incident never happens again… of rephrasing “check-up” questions so as not to insult the customer… take advantage of customer calls to create fans by solving their problems… of taking the blame to pacify customers… of using standard lines in awkward situations… of not taking customer complaints personally… make use of money back guarantees and honor it.
See the difference in how it works here in our country? You can’t even easily return a merchandise here even with receipts, boxes and everything intact.
Learn people!!
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“Take the blame” — this seems to be the last thing that comes across the mind of any service-oriented outfit. It’s definitely frustrating. But I’m glad you were able to find a connection and post this wonderful entry, cheers! =)
@Arielle
- I know. Most often its “cover your ass (cya)” instead. Thanks for visiting!
I could relate to your frustration … although I think you are harsh to say that one ought to expect poor service when you’re dealing with the help desk of a Filipino or other third world company. From my experience, having 100% satisfaction is rare to come by when calling a help desk, whether you’re talking to a Filipino or not.
I work for a Philippine company that employs the services of foreign companies like Reuters and Bloomberg. Depending on the time of day I call their help desks, I could be talking to a Vietnamese, Singaporean, or an Australian. You can’t exactly call Australia a third world country. Half the time, I have already done what they are suggesting I do and they are stumped if I ask them if they know of other alternatives.
If it is of any redeeming factor for the “matino” people in customer service, I’d have to say that just so I don’t bypass the “SOP” of those companies, I had to tire the help desk person out before they give up and send over the Filipino technician to our office. 95% of the time, the Filipino technicians knows what the solution is … but I can’t call them directly because it is not their company’s SOP.
The problem really is making people handle product queries when they don’t know the product much themselves. Add to that the tendency these days to stick to specialization … so even if the hardware guy knows how to fix a software glitch, he won’t because it is the software guy’s territory… and the software guy wouldn’t want anyone else doing his job because if things got worse, it’s his ass who’s going to be on the line.
@MJ,
I appreciate your input and although the post tells of an experience with a help desk person, you will find, the somewhat lacking in customer service exists not only in that instance, but also with KFC, McDonalds, SM Dept store ladies, even those salesclerk employed by the Escada shop in Glorietta. The only place I have yet to see lacking in customer service is Rustan’s department store and maybe its because I do not go there often enough to meet those that could display such disappointing actions. I can compare the McDonalds here vs. the McDonalds in the US vs. the McDonalds in Singapore. Guess which failed the customer service test?
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[...] that means no new posts for quite a while until such time that I am able to secure the services of Globe or PLDT. I wonder if that would prove to be a good [...]