It has been a very long week. On Monday the guy, Steve, from Culligan, came by to change the filters on our water system. I remembered him from last year. This was the guy who spends hours tinkering with the system which makes clear water out of iron laden pump water. And when he leaves, nothing works! It was the same this year as last. He left his van running. I asked him to turn the motor off because I didn't want the fumes, the noise, and the wasting of energy. He left, after I had paid him, and as usual, the water pressure was so low it couldn't have watered an anemic chicken. So he had to return to fix it. This, after repeated calls and many minutes on those dreadful 'holds' to surly service department people. We insisted that it be fixed today. Apparently he had installed the wrong filter. This took five days! No one ever said "Sorry, we'll fix it, we'll make it right." This company made me feel that it was our mistake.
Earlier in the week I had to undergo a biopsy (don't worry, nothing life threatening). I dreaded this procedure. When I went to have it done, I had to wait a bit, not long, but then there was this wonderful technician who scooted her chair up to me, eyeball to eyeball, and explained everything - probably more than I wanted to know-and took me in tow for the whole ordeal (which wasn't actually very hard). She rubbed my back and after it was over brought me a warm blanket. She included me, showed me the computer images, and recognized me as a real person who was anxious at the time. The next day she called to see how I was doing, and she explained the process of getting results from the pathology lab. This person hasn't forgotten that she is doing business with real people.
On the other hand, my regular doctor never called me, never returned my calls.
Wouldn't it be great if the Culligan people would call the next day and ask, "How's your water system after the servicing?"
Often, I watch how people deal with their clients. In the Dade City Post Office, the people behind the desk are wonderfully quick, efficient, and friendly. I never mind going there to mail stuff. They seem to care about their customers.
I hope I never have left people hanging out and wondering. It's so easy to give a call or make an announcement about what's either happening or not. Seems to me that it is such a mean petty bureaucratic mindset to control people by not letting them know what's up.
What do you think?
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