I arrived at the dermatologist to have a small sebaceous cyst on my forearm checked. Maybe have it biopsied. Seeing it change size and density recently, I thought it was a good idea. Little did I foresee; I was in for an example of unusually poor customer service.
After feeling and squeezing it from different angles, he deemed it likely harmless. But if I liked, he could have it extracted and examined. An assistant with him felt around it as well. But with a noticeable difference in touch. The doctor seemed to be looking for something, squeezing four or five times from different angles. The assistant squeezed it just once, in a way that struck me as clumsy, and more curious than discerning.
Over the past year or so, my body scan check-ups had been done by another assistant. Whom I liked but when I commented that I missed seeing him directly, he became noticeably annoyed saying,” I leave the nickel and dime stuff to others. At this point in my life I’d like time to see my grandkids, ok”. It was as if I was being scolded.
No question his attitude was inappropriate, and an example of poor customer service, so was the phrase, “nickel and dime stuff”, but I didn’t say anything. When he then asked me if I’d like the cyst biopsied. His assistant in the room would cut out the cyst. I didn’t hesitate to politely defer.
Driving away I remembered my initial appt with him. He was a full hour late. While scanning over my body, he mentioned certain pricing for skin tag removals. When he found a growth he felt needed a biopsy and mentioned what the cost would be to remove it, I suggested he “throw it in to make up for being so late”. I meant this sincerely as a way of being fair. When he stitched me up, he literally yanked the final stitch, leaving a noticeable mark on my chest. This was his answer to my suggestion.
Even though hostility however subtle has no place in customer service, I still felt he was a good doctor, so I’ve stayed with him. He’s actually a not a bad guy. Just a little touchy and prone to poor customer service when a patient is not quite docile.
In a less serious setting:
We were out recently, dining with my daughter and boyfriend. It was a restaurant we love, one of the best values in all of L.A. When I attempted to use the saltshaker, nothing came out. It was clogged from the humidity. So I asked the server for a new one. Apologetic and seemingly happy to comply, I figured she’d make a point to return quickly, as our lunch was already on the table. Several minutes later she shows up with a new saltshaker, saying it’s clogged as well. I checked it. She was right. “There’s nothing else I can do”, she announced, then turned quickly and scurried away. And that is actually what she said. My wife and I, both having worked in restaurants when we were younger, couldn’t believe it. The kids being Gen Z, although less phased than we were, were struck by it as well.
What made this example of poor customer service a little weird and abrupt to me, was that the server was very likable. She’d been playful, helpful, joking back and forth with us. So this attitude shift came as quite a surprise. I ended up grabbing some salt from an empty table nearby. And we finished our meals.
While driving home, we agreed it was a lack of training issue. Good customer service training is essential. How to deal with people is not always intuitive. Really good people just because they’re kind often have no idea about certain customer service aspects. What might not be important to you, may be ultra important to a customer, or at least have some importance to them. That’s why in whatever customer-facing field you’re in, the basics of that customer service need to be learned.
Some kind of basic customer service training is “always” a good idea. No matter how small your business is. But too many small businesses don’t do any at all.
The Little Customer Service Book
A Common Sense Guide to Helping People
Recommended Links:
https://thelittlecustomerservicebook.com/
https://thelittlecustomerservicebook.com/warmth-in-customer-service/
