A Lesson in Customer Service - Clout vs. Klout

I want an iPhone4. And I want it badly. Have since the day they came out. But not enough to stand in line for one. My strategy was to wait patiently until there were more available.
Then my current iPhone 3 started to fade. Sucky battery life and my home button barely works. Thus my need for a new phone started to become an issue. I wasn’t about to get another iPhone3 and I was running out of patience. But there still wasn’t an iPhone4 to be had. I tried calling Fido stores, Apple stores. Nothing.
(Given how differently the iPhone4 release is compared to the iPhone3 release, I personally think the issue is with Apple and Fido is doing the best they can with the situation. But that’s a different story…)
So I began engaging with @fidomobile on Twitter. Fidomobile was responsive but not very proactive in helping me. Answer basically was “sorry. I can’t help you. Call the stores”.
While I really appreciate that @fidomobile interacted with me and was quick to respond, as a customer service avenue it really wasn’t helpful and did nothing to alleviate any of my frustrations. I’ve told Fido this, and I think its an area they could improve on for sure.
So I called Fido and in all my frustration I told the customer service rep that I was so unhappy I was considering changing my phone service.
And this is where I hang my head in shame, because really that was an idle threat I wasn’t going to follow through with. I never should have said it. I said it because I was unhappy and frustrated.
I apologise to Fido for being so unthoughtful. It was a lesson for me in customer service.
I love Fido and have always loved my service with them. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I don’t want to be anywhere else. It was unfair of me to say that, when I knew I wasn’t going to follow through. That was a humbling moment for me. Customer service is about being fair, and as a customer I also need to be fair to the company I’m dealing with.
So thank you Fido for putting up with my bad attitude. I apologise.
I ended up speaking with the lovely S in Customer Relations at Fido. I told S that I was initially willing to wait for an iPhone, but I couldn’t do that anymore given the current condition of my phone. S then made me happy. Very, very happy. She took a look at my account. Saw that I’ve been a good customer for 8 years. Never cause any problems. Pay my bills on time. And what might be on my file but S didn’t mention is that when I do have an issue and deal with Fido, I usually call back to let them know that I received excellent customer service from the person I was speaking with and I ask to have that put on the person’s file.
The end result of my conversation with S is that I’m getting an iPhone4. As well as some savings on my bill after S helped me figure out how to restructure my billing. And I’m almost reluctant to say this, because I don’t want everyone calling and demanding an iPhone too. That’s not the point. Please leave Fido alone.
When I called Fido with a genuine issue, I received excellent service because I’m an excellent customer (if I do say so myself!). Andy my reputation as a good client gave me the clout (not Klout) I needed.
We should always get good customer service. No question about that. But if you want your service to be extraordinary, you need to be an extraordinary client.
I think, with so many options available for products and services, and with so many avenues of expression around (twitter, blogs), its easy to try to start using what you think is clout to get what you want. But your clout isn’t just how much pull you have, its also your reputation.
So when you start asking for stuff, first ask yourself: are you really being fair? Are you using your powers for the greater good? Or are you just using them because you can and you want something?
Basically, are you being a good client?
- Do you communicate with your product/service provider and let them know when you’re happy? Do you let others know? I without fail tell people how much I love Fido. And I let Fido know it too.
- If you’re unhappy, have you taken the time to clearly articulate what the issue is and asked for or suggested solutions? Are you being nice while you do this? Being mean and/or yelling really isn't fair.
- Are your expectations realistic? Are you sure about that?

But, really, mostly…. How are you using your clout? Are you being fair?