SOCIAL IMPRESSIONS

My boyfriend, his family and I went to Chicago this past weekend to attend the Giants vs. Bears game. Since our trusted dog sitters were on the trip with us, our only option was to put Amira and Dakota up at a kennel. We felt guilty leaving them behind, so we decided to reserve them a space in the finest dog lodging in St. Louis.

Why am I blogging about my dogs’ experience at a kennel? One major reason – the niche Kennelwood Village (KV) has established for itself in the St. Louis market. Its brand is definitely luxury pet lodging. With the saturation of kennels in the St. Louis market, KV’s unique selling proposition has pushed them ahead. KV does not refer to its accommodations as a kennel, but a “pet resort.” We even had the option of putting our pets in a Suite, Lodge, Grand Lodge, Cabana, Manor or Estate. High-class accommodations like these put attached pet owners at ease. They feel assured that their pets will receive top treatment, similar to or even better than what they get at home.

In keeping with its first-class offerings, KV provides the animals with constant entertainment. Your furry friends can watch “Animal Planet” via satellite television and enjoy play time with other dogs. And the grooming services are referred to as a spa day. The difference in terminology definitely has an impact on the way customers perceive the service they are receiving.

When we picked up our pets from the “resort,” the front desk provided us with a report card for each dog letting us know how well they did during their stay. They both got A’s and received glowing remarks. Just like any mother would be, I was so proud and immediately put their report cards up on my fridge. Also, it prompted me to Twitter and update my Facebook status informing all my friends that my dogs got A’s. Not only is this service top of mind now since it is on my fridge, all my dog-owner friends who live in St. Louis now know about it through social media.

Obviously, this report card initiative is KV’s way of proving that their staff understands that our dogs are our babies. They identified that their core customers want to stay informed about their progress, behavior and experience. There is obviously a major difference between those who baby their dogs and those who don’t have the same level of attachment. The prior would be more inclined put them up in this five star resort, while the latter might opt for a more practical option.

As with any luxury treatment, this came with a hefty price tag. $328.78 to be exact. Was it worth it? I absolutely feel that it was because I knew my dogs would receive the attention they need. After all, staying at the Drake Hotel is going to cost so much more than Holiday Inn… The same can be said for kennels as well.

After frequenting many service-oriented companies, it has become evident that some have taken customer service for granted. Sprint/Nextel’s recent actions were an example of that. Should customer service be a unique selling point or should every company implement a strategic plan to ensure all patrons are satisfied?

Sprint/Nextel recently informed 1,100 customers that their wireless service will be terminated effective July 30. Their reason for this decision was that these targeted subscribers called customer service too often, some up to 40 to 50 times a month. Those axed individuals will not have a final bill and will not be charged a termination fee. They have until the end of this month to port their number to another carrier before it expires.

As the number three U.S. wireless provider, losing 1,100 from their customer base of 53 million isn’t a huge deal financially-speaking. The main issue at hand is that Sprint’s reputation is already poor according to sub-par customer service ratings. Despite the fact that these former subscribers may have been abusing the system, this move only adds fuel to existing negative impressions of this company. This could prove to be a point of consideration when their current customers are due to renew their contracts. It may also rebuff potential customers who are in the market for new service or are interested in switching carriers.

This company fell short in providing customer satisfaction when it decided to drop customers. Subscribers pay a monthly fee to receive good coverage and service. There was never a disclaimer made by Sprint/Nextel regarding a limitation to the number of times a customer can call to receive the attention they paid for.

Technorati Tags: Sprint; Sprint/Nextel; Customer Service

Spreading a message is rarely an easy task, especially when it is a global effort. Asking people to make a change in their daily routine is often like pulling teeth. Comfort is found in following a pattern. In the 24-hour long “Live Earth” concerts that brought together more than 100 top artists, people were called upon to modify their decisions and lifestyle. Al Gore, former vice president, helped organize this eight-country-wide event to help “heal the planet” by cutting down on carbon emissions. Many questions arose regarding “Live Earth”: Will this event truly spread the message? Will people make the changes necessary to resolve the current climate crises?

Transmitted worldwide, the concerts were broadcasted on TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels. 10 million people alone logged on to experience Saturday’s concerts online. That is not counting the millions who saw the entertainers live in all eight venues. With this global outreach effort, one can ascertain that the message was definitely received.

Many critics doubt the effectiveness of this event. First, the concerts were speculated to have caused more global damage by the 1,000 tons of garbage, and the 100,000 trees that had to be planted to compensate for the carbon emissions released. Second, many noted that the event was mainly attended due to the musical acts than the message itself. So did people tune out the preachings of Al Gore and other celebrities to cut down carbon consumption during the concerts?

The greenhouse effect isn’t a new concept to anyone. Children in middle school are taught about the impact it has on our environment. However, little action has been taken despite the efforts to educate people from a young age. It has increasingly become apparent that being environmentally-friendly is much more expensive and quite inconvenient in the short-term. For example, buying a hybrid car is initially more expensive than buying a regular car. The MSRP for a Honda Accord is $18,625, while the starting cost for the Hybrid version is $31,090. Are the people in the lower and middle classes going to be able to afford the costs associated with helping the ecosystem?

Some have asked if it is really worth spreading a message that might not garner the action that it deserves. I believe it is. Out of the millions who tuned into the event, more than 10,000 people in 130 countries and 50 states registered as “Friends of Live Earth” to show their commitment to making the changes necessary. As we have heard over and over again, “It only takes one person to make a difference, and everyone else to try.”

Technorati Tag: Live Earth, Global Warming, Al Gore

On Thursday, my boyfriend and I wanted to go to a Japanese grill but it was closed, so we decided to be adventurous and try a nearby sushi restaurant which we hadn’t been to before. Ichiban, meaning number one in Japanese, looked clean with a Zen-like atmosphere. I noticed it was empty and thought it was odd because it wasn’t near closing time. Little did we know, we would soon find out why. We were about to have a very unpleasant experience there.

Upon receiving my tuna steak order, I was immediately disgusted by the “fishy” taste and returned it after a single bite. I was then informed that Ichiban does not give refunds unless a patron has tried the meal before and liked it. When I informed the waitress that the tuna didn’t taste fresh and that it had a “fishy” flavor to it, she asked me if I knew what Tuna steak was.

Infuriated by the waitress’ behavior, I requested that I speak with the manager. He refused to remove the $14.00 off my bill because 1- no one has ever complained about the tuna steak before, 2-the tuna steak was fresh and he was prepared to show me the invoice proving it, 3-the restaurant’s refund policy prohibited him from doing so. Needless to say, I felt the need to explain to this restaurant manager the concept of Customer Service.

My marketing communications professor once told me that customer service is “capturing the moment of truth.” When an employee is faced with a disgruntled customer, they can capture that moment by turning the negative situation into a positive. The Ichiban manager could have personally apologized for the mistake and removed the amount from my balance to make up for my negative experience.

However, the resturant manager did not understand that the issue was not the $14. It was the principle. The server practically accused me of pulling a Jessica Simpson by questioning my knowledge of tuna, the manager was way too eager to argue, and both of them were out of line.

Their disrespectful attitude has caused me to boycott that restaurant, inform all my friends and colleagues about my experience, and blog about it. How many other former patrons did the very same thing? Every business manager should send their new hires to that restaurant just to learn what NOT to do when a customer is dissatisfied.

The next time the Ichiban manager looks at his restaurant and wonders why it is empty; he should think about every time he argued with a customer and didn’t follow the cardinal rule of Customer Service: Customer is Always Right. Apparently, this restaurant isn’t Ichiban when it comes to customer service.