“Reach out and touch someone.”

Posted by random olio

I was talking to a colleague yesterday about “Orange is the New Black.” I had mentioned that scenes from the series kept coming back to my mind. She asked if there was a reason why, and I relayed a few ideas. One being that I NEVER want to ever go to prison. While you might have a simple response: “well then do not do anything stupid, Tami.” Easier said then done. We live in a culture that sues. You piss someone off, they sue you, and sometimes the law is not alway on your side. Maybe I have watched too much of “The Good Wife” but I am not optimistic about our legal system, and I do believe that innocent people often end of in prison. Sad but true.

I digress. One of the things I mentioned about Orange is the New Black that got me thinking was about being touched. They only subtly show you this in the show, but I picked up on it immediately. Inmates are not allowed to touch each other. When the main character gets her hair cut and is getting her hair washed (not sure how many real prisons have hair salons) she groans. Having her head touched by someone else is just so foreign, yet matters so much to her. They are starved and crave the human touch.

Yet, as the thought continued to spin around in my head yesterday I realized we ALL crave physical touch. Whether it is a gentle hand on our arm telling us we are going to be fine, or a hug, or maybe just a pat on the back. Touch grounds up in ways that words sometimes cannot. We are reminded that we are all right. We can make it through today, and tomorrow. So when I saw this Chevrolet commercial “Maddie” (ugh I know another car company ad), the impact of this girl and her dog I thought to add that it is the snuggle of your pet, their sloppy, wet kiss, and the lifetime of comfort when we need it most. A dog always knows.

So not to jump back to the early ’80s but “reach out and touch someone.” [old AT&T slogan]

The Thank You Note Is Not Dead

Posted by random olio

I am old school about writing a thank you note. So when I heard about what Sprint is doing as part of their customer service, I was in awe. I have no reason to advertise Sprint. I am an iPhone user and have been on AT&T for years, but I commend Sprint for what they are doing. Take a second to read this article further. Here is an excerpt:

“Sprint’s commitment to personal outreach was introduced by the company’s CEO Dan Hesse, upon an employee’s suggestion. The campaign has been embraced by the entire Sprint team from the top down—not only has Hesse has been sending out notes himself, but the company has also implemented “Thank You Thursdays” on which all employees are asked to write at least five notes.”

I absolutely love it. I remember from a very young age my mom somehow ingrained in me the art of the thank you note. It is an extra gesture of gratitude for a gift of any size. It takes it a step farther than an email. It has a longer life than a phone call. It is something the recipient can go back and read again and again. Maybe they will just throw it away, but maybe the time you took to write the note will mean something to them, they keep it, or post on the frig, or above their desk. You never know how much your words will mean to them. You never know how much you will touch them. The fact that you took extra moments to write out your thoughts, put it in an envelope, address it, spent 45 cents, and put it in the mail. Does that mean more to someone than a quick text or email? Maybe. Maybe not. But, I believe it is worth a try.

If a company believes it is worth the time to send a thank you note, I think it says something about how much that company cares about the personal touch. It means that the individual customer is more than a number and that they believe that the personal touch matters to their customers. More companies need to see this and take action. I can think of a few times when I purchased an item and on my shipping receipt I had a personal note. I have not forgotten. The one that I remember most was from Shop Horne. I purchased a mug, and not only was the packaging amazing, they wrote me a personal, handwritten note on a beautiful, embossed, textured card stock. I was so impressed I still have it. It was something I wanted as a reminder for my next business venture.

A personal touch goes a long way.

Shop Horne thank you note

Customer Service – UGH!

Posted by random olio

I have a rant. So our contract is almost up with our Internet/TV/Phone provider. We called today to find out if our rates would increase. They are. By $50. Gulp. Seriously. It does not make sense. We have been a customer for over 3 years and they (ahem – Frontier FIOS) are doing nothing to keep us as a customer. It makes no sense to me. We are researching other companies, and we could move to Comcast, Century Link, or some sort of arrangement with satellite (Dish or Direct TV). So with so many competitors, why would Frontier do nothing to keep us as loyal customers? Their response was that their system no longer allows discounts and the only way to get a deal is to sign a new contract for new service. Again, this makes no sense to me. Why should I have to sign a new contract to continue paying what I am currently paying?

I have had an iPhone for years. My rates have never changed. I was grandfathered in with the unlimited data plan, and yes AT&T I will not leave you, because my unlimited data plan I believe is golden. I never think about how much I am on my phone, using my apps, the Internet, doing email. AT&T never changes my rates from year to year, and I appreciate it. Thank you, AT&T.

So, Frontier, we are looking to change companies. Wouldn’t you? Why should we stick with a company that has always given us bad customer service, messed up our billing for over 9 months, and has done nothing to keep us as a customer? Does anyone have any experience with Century Link or satellite? We have had Comcast before and might switch to them. We will most likely cancel our phone plan and just stick to Internet/TV. I would like to find a TV/Internet provider that actually cares about their customers. Is that even possible? (Frontier could really learn something from Zappos). To find a TV/Internet provider that cares about their customers? I would love to be happily surprised.

Perplexed in Portland.