It's OK To Voice YOUR Concern

Phew, our family are just now recovering from a 3-week emotional roller-coaster ride.

We've all been laid-low from a virus contracted from my toddler grand-daughter's first foray into formal day-care, friend's lost their 21-year old son to cancer, and my cousin stopped over from America to grieve the loss of her 16-year-old son. Sleep has been sparse!

Boy, when YOU think YOU have problems, nothing compares to the pain that others carry.

Today, in bouncing back to this forum, I thought I'd share a lesson for all service providers: Never piddle-off your consumer!

This is a story of how a service-provider's poor attitude to her customer exacerbated a common problem that could easily have been resolved into a no-lose for the service provider.

Let me make it clear that everyone sees things from their own points of view. It's how you consider the other views that becomes important.

I will let you follow the emails in order of response:

Subject: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Hi K..

Despite being new and obviously not wishing to rock the boat with someone that we have just interacted with, I believe it more important to share our honest feelings openly.

I must voice our concern and frustration at having brought young Taylor (1yr 11 mths) into your establishment Tuesday last week and noticing just how many kids - and staff - were present with terrible colds and running noses (yellow and green mucous in the kiddies - clearly infectious).

This despite being led to believe that your policy is that those who are sick would be sent back home. I believed that this was so as not to infect others.

Within two days Taylor had developed a sniffle (after being free of any colds since birth)... and by Sunday this had broken out into an upper respiratory tract infection with a gurgling chest.

Now, both granny and grandpa (that's us, her full time guardians) are sick with same, and all of us have been knocked out of action for the entire working week..

Why I am voicing our frustration is that this exercise was primarily intended to give us more time to to do the essential work things that we need to do to generate critical income.

We have had a week of sleepless nights and long days nursing our little one... and basically are not able to get anything done. We're back to square one... and actually, are worse off.

We have kept her at home whilst sick, as we expect others to do... and to have done... and your establishment to have played its part.

It is costing us the money that we have paid to you, clinic visits and medicines... and obviously, we're not achieving our objectives!

We are so frustrated that we are seriously contemplating removing her and requesting a return of our money to find an establishment that will take their policies seriously.

Your positive comment in response will help us to decide on our actions going forward.

Sincerely

Trevor Nel

K's (name withheld) response:

Dear Trevor,

Thank you for letting us know, we hope she feels better soon and please send her hugs and kisses from us.

Kind Regards

K

After a few sleepless weeks:

Subject: Meeting to remove Taylor Nel - Re: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Hi K

Kindly arrange a meeting between ourselves this morning anytime between 10 a.m. to 12 Noon (can push to 1 p.m. if need be).

Unfortunately we have now spent three long weeks of extremely disturbed nights with a very sick grand-daughter (from one who had not a sniffle since birth prior to attending your facility)... and now, 3 concerning health issues in 3 weeks clearly picked up from your facility.

Last night... a dangerously high temperature for a little kiddie, which now is the final straw in this little exercise to free up our time.

We are trying to get her into the pediatrician today to assess how serious this temperature is, and will give you feedback as to what they believe to be causing it.

For us, it has been a fruitless and costly exercise as mentioned in first voicing our concern.

It is time to conclude this exercise as one that has not worked.

Please give me a call on the line below to confirm time... or I will phone in at 9 a.m. to confirm.

Sincerely

Trevor Nel

K's response and a telephone call followed at which she voiced her annoyance at my not being happy with her service:

Dear Trevor,

I have tried to phone you, but no answer, I did leave a message. Can you please get back to me and let me know what you would like to do.

Kind Regards

K

My response (her comments had now piddled me off... and changed my focus onto her attitude:

Subject: EFT details - Re: Meeting to remove Taylor Nel - Re: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Hi K

Without Prejudice

Thank you. Our telephone conversation of yesterday Tue31 Aug +-12 Noon refers.

I acknowledge that you have stated that you will refund the following immediately by EFT to:

Account name: et al - removed

i. R400 Stationery term fee

ii. R1300 Sep. fee paid in advance

I do recognise that customer service (satisfaction) is such a delicate and subjective issue in these cynical times. However, I still subscribe in my business interests to the age old mantra that - 'The Customer Is Always Right' - even when they may be totally wrong!

I note your reaction that you are 'annoyed' with me for wanting to remove Taylor, that we will be 'unwelcome' in the future, that you chair a number of such facilities in the area over which you have influence, and that my 'attitude' will be detrimental to Taylor's development in the future.

Whatever your perception, whatever the circumstances, the simple fact is that this exercise did not deliver the benefit that we were seeking and that we clearly discussed with you on signing in... and which concern I voiced clearly below (email sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 1:43 PM). In fact, it has got worse.

As I assess your reaction, I put myself into your shoes and assess how I would deal with a clear breakdown of a business relationship (whatever the cause) at so early a time in the relationship (my concerns voiced arising from the first week)... and it is quite simple, I deliver nothing less than a TOTAL REFUND and I keep my mouth and thoughts about the customer to myself (i.e. How can I make it right for you?).

There is no point exacerbating a customer-service problem that may very well not be of the business-owners making, it makes for a surprisingly pleasant customer experience... and it literally buys excellent word-of-mouth.

I would return the following as well:

iii. the R500 registration fee

iv. the R798 August pro-rata fee paid

However, I recognise that this is your business and your call.

The ball is your court.

Sincerely

Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790

K's response:

Dear Trevor,

It is with regret you decided removing your granddaughter from our school. As was previously explained to you it is not uncommon for children to become ill when attending a school for the first time. In all likelihood you will experience the same problems at the next school and the next until her immune system has had a chance to build a resistance to the various viruses and bacterial infections. It is rather absurd to blame our school for seasonal illnesses and even more so expecting us to send children home for every sneeze or snivel. As explained and you will find this at most schools, we only send children home should they have elevated fever or contagious disease.

You clearly do not like the way our school operates as it is your right to do and it is quite certain we cannot come to an agreement which will satisfy both parties.

However in light of the situation we will refund you to the amount of R1700.00 which consists of the monthly R1 300.00 half day school fee and the R400 toiletries/stationery fee. This amount will be paid into your bank account today and will be seen as the full and final refund settlement.

Good luck with Taylor’s future schooling career.

Kind Regards

K

Too late, her attitude on the phone had really upset me:

Subject: Objection - Re: EFT details - Re: Meeting to remove Taylor Nel - Re: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Hi K

Without Prejudice

Your first settlement of R1700 is noted. Thank you.

I am afraid that, having taken time over the weekend to digest your assertions from your point of view and analyse your reactions and latest response, I cannot accept your notice below as 'full and final refund settlement' as you state and offer you the opportunity to redress the remaining settlement.

Firstly, I raised our concern within the first week over what I am now of the opinion to have been a defective service on your establishment's part. (re-read below email: Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 1:43 PM)

This seems to have been acknowledged by an attempt to address the problem as stated by one B T

Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 5:55 PM ; Subject: Taylor Nel) - 'After your wife phoned the school we implemented a new procedure to help parents whereby we keep a log of whether our staff needed to wipe a child’s nose, how many times the child has been to the toilet, when nappies were changed, hands washed etc. This is part of our effort to minimize any possible risks to the children in our care. We really do try our utmost to make all our clients happy and want to thank her for the call.'

My wife did not phone the school, so clearly someone else complained as well!

We have since identified other schools in the area that DO regard 'green running noses' as highly infectious and a very good reason to instruct parents to keep their children at home, as we believe and did... and as opposite to your apparent assertions that you are 'forced' to keep such children in the school.

Secondly, you dealt with me on the telephone in a manner that was, in my opinion, either deliberately or subconsciously on your part, designed to be evasive, abrasive, petulant, arrogant, hostile, defensive, and intimidatory to the point of bullying the consumer. You clearly did not want to meet with me to discuss this face-to-face as I proposed. I find this to be highly evasive and weak customer-service on your part as business-owner. I now wonder if you are used to younger families being intimidated by such reaction/s. Your reaction has so upset me to the point where I intend to fully assert my/our rights to full and proper redress.

Thirdly, I have been quite accommodating in allowing you the opportunity to assess why you have not delivered the service we were looking for... and you have not taken up that opportunity.

This now highlights, again in my opinion, all that I consider to be immoral in the standard procedure adopted by an establishment such as yours... and I will now highlight those to all and sundry to ensure that adequate consumer protection (through the facility of the impending Consumer Protection Act - Oct 2010) is brought to bear to protect the consumer in this instance of:

i. withholding of the Registration Fee at so early a point of dissatisfaction of customer service is effectively an immoral penalty on the consumer (especially for young parents who cannot afford to lose such funds and have to find another such fee for the next establishment - effectively a double penalty).

ii. where consumer expresses timeously a dissatisfaction of service outcome (and is clearly adversely/negatively affected by such outcome) and does not get a refund of fees - it represents a loss of opportunity cost for the consumer. The whole exercise of identifying a school has to repeated - albeit with an acute eye now for the risks and dangers of dealing with those that deliver inadequate outcomes.

Sadly, when a business operator does what you have done, and withholds such fees as above, especially when the consumer has so clearly voiced their dissatisfaction, they garner nothing more than massive BADWILL (negative publicity, bad word-of-mouth) and little things that were not major issues also tend to be highlighted in the consumers mind. You would not be impressed to hear how we label your style of business in our discussions, and that purely comes from the way you have made us feel.

Finally, I have no interest in hearing how the vast majority of your clients feel (which you claim to all be highly satisfied), I only have my experience to go on... and it was not what we were seeking (see email: Sent: 01 September 2010 06:54).

Clearly, after assessing your reactions, and the negative affect on us at having put my/our faith in your service, nothing less than a total refund will satisfy me.

The ball is still in your court.

Sincerely

Trevor Nel

K's response:

Subject: RE: Objection - Re: EFT details - Re: Meeting to remove Taylor Nel - Re: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Mr. Trevor Nel Contact me urgently!!!!!!!!

Yes, Principal...!!! My response:

Subject: Re: Objection - Re: EFT details - Re: Meeting to remove Taylor Nel - Re: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Hi K

Your apparent arrogance in believing yourself to be the only one busy accompanied by your 'annoyed with you' telephone message comment of this morning on my answering machine, and your terse comment below, only serve to exacerbate my opinion of your customer-service problem.

I have no intention to be the target of abuse/intimidation by you via phone again.

This consumer is not your plaything to be 'summoned' to bow down to your terse beck & call.

You turned down the opportunity to meet to discuss my issues with you as I had proposed.

You are welcome to state whatever your points in writing in response to my previous email... or to redress the matter/s outstanding

My points and intention remain as stated in my previous email below.

Sincerely

Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790

K's response... a call to tell me my fortune and put the phone down.

My response:

Subject: Your 5:15 telephone call refers - notice of intention to seek court application for redress - Fw: Objection - Re: EFT details - Re: Meeting to remove Taylor Nel - Re: Voicing Our Concern - Re: Taylor Nel - at home - sick

Hi K

Without Prejudice

You clearly ignored the points made below and chose to deliver a further vitriolic call to vent your spleen via telephone and to put the phone down.

All rights reserved. Please receive this notice of my intention to seek redress by means of small claims court application should you not return the remaining R1298 to my account provided as final part of a total refund by midday Friday 10th September 2010.

Sincerely

Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790

K's final, final response:

Trevor,

Please check your account as the money was paid into your account with ABSA Acc Nr. this morning before 10am. Proof of payment was e-mailed to you. I went according to our records and paid the amount of R1280.00 still outstanding according to these records and your demand of a full refund.

I have now done everything you asked of me. Stop threatening and harassing me and my company as I will no longer tolerate your thinly veiled threats.

I sincerely hope I never have the misfortune of dealing with you again.

Regards,

K

A gnashing of teeth and snarling at the consumer until the end... ;-)

For me, it matters not who is right or wrong, deal with your customers with grace.

How would you have handled this issue from the suppliers perspective?

Does ATTITUDE play an important role in business?

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