Tips for Business

My job at the moment is a multi-faceted role.  However it is predominately a customer service role with a little bit of everything else on the side.  Because of this, I’ve started thinking about and looking at customer service in a more critical way and the news isn’t good.  Most businesses have mediocre customer service with some bordering on atrocious - but yesterday has to take the cake for being the worst customer service experience ever.

The mission was simple; get a generic BSB code from Bendigo Bank to correct the mistake of my customer to allow them to be paid.  For international readers a BSB number is simply a routing number for our banking system which identifies the Bank, State and Branch.  There is nothing personal about these numbers, in fact they are widely published and publically available.

In an effort to save time and hassle I thought to myself “I will call Bendigo Bank and ask them what their generic BSB number is.  That way they can confirm I have the correct details and I will save having to hassle the client for information they may not know or have readily accessible.”  Of course I realised that any bank will not divulge private or personal details about their client however since the BSB I was asking for doesn’t even link to a branch local to my client there should be no problems.  How wrong I was!

Firstly, the man on the phone sounded either half asleep or stoned, greeting me in a bored, monotonous manner unacceptable for even a Friday afternoon.  Then he asked for an account number and I freely quoted him my clients number in the hope that it may expedite the process of getting information out of them.  I explained that I needed to confirm the generic BSB for the bank so that money could be sent to the account I had quoted him.  His response was to ask for further details, like the account name and address and other personal information I didn’t know or care to share.  I again explained that those personal details were irrelevant and that all I needed was a generic number used by all clients.  He told me that the bank had two numbers which could be applicable - depending on the type of account.  I said I didn’t know what type of account it was but if he was to give me both the numbers then I could take that information back to my client for confirmation.  His response was “But then you will just try both of them!”.  Before I had a chance to explain that I had been quoted, by my client, that his BSB was 333-000 (which is incorrect, hence the confirmation of bank details) the ‘customer service representative’ had hung up on me.  WHAT?

I understand that banks have private and confidential information that they cannot just share with anyone.  I also understand that there are people out there who aim to steal private information for their own gains.  I also understand how in a situation where the assistant is suspicious of an enquiry to be evasive or difficult to deal with - but hanging up!  My instant response was to hit redial and join the queue again but I didn’t have time at this stage and I still had to get these details before the end of the day.  But honestly, would it have been that hard for him to say “I’m sorry I cannot provide that information as you haven’t sufficiently identified yourself and privacy laws prohibit me from sharing any customer details”.  Obviously.  I’ve been in plenty of situations where I am faced with a brick wall because I cannot provide ID - it’s disappointing but it is understandable.  Instead of being hung up on I am left feeling like privacy issues are a concern but customer service is still important.  Clearly Bendigo Bank don’t share this view.  Much better just to hang up!

The most amusing part to this whole drama is that on Bendigo Bank’s own ‘Contact Us’ page the BSB number I was looking for is freely available under their contact number.  I doubt there are two numbers (I have dealt with enough banking details to know that much) so I suspect he was just trying to throw me off the scent.

Ultimately, here’s the tip for business.  Customer service is the most important aspect of operations.  If customer’s don’t feel satisfied or feel like they are important to the business, then the business won’t retain customers for long.  Personally, I’m not likely to ever be a Bendigo Bank customer after this experience and I doubt I will ever recommend the bank to others either.  Customers never forget!

At Long Last And Yet So Soon

Finally, our new friends have arrived!  Jack and Jill Husky have survived their travel down under and are happy in their new home.  They are absolutely adourable - cuter than I ever thought they would be.  As far as I know, Mel and I are officially the first in Australia to own Jack or Jill.  Althought it’s nice, it’s also a little sad that others cannot enjoy the cuteness.

In our best Nici shops here, we have JUST got the Verano Caliente range.  Also, we miss out on heaps of other Nici things that is available overseas but is just too expensive to be worthwhile over here.  Many owners of a Nici toy in Australia probably don’t realise that Nici make stationary, mugs, bags and cushions.  Plenty of things you can have in the office and not look strange; let’s just say manly plush love is not commonly expressed though I know men do have plush love.

Hopefully, one day, I can either convince Nici to start a shop in Australia or do it for them!  Then we would see more Aussies loving Nici (simply through exposure) and we would also open the eyes for many Australian Nici lovers who think that Nici is just cute plush.

The Dreaded Dentist

It’s amazing how time flies when you need to have dental work.  It seems like only yesterday the agony began and Friday sees the pain probably getting worse in the short term.  But not only that, it heralds the day when my bank balance is significantly reduced.  It’s bad enough you have ’some guy’ sticking foreign objects into your teeth but the mugging afterwards really adds that extra something.

Thankfully this is just one in a long list of dental procedures needing to be carried out to repair my damaged teeth.  It’s good that we have people in society who trade holes in teeth with holes in your pocket.

Sure, you could say that I should have looked after my teeth better.  And sure you could say that I brought this all onto myself.  To that I would say phooee!  These people need to learn to live life on the edge … and eat copious amounts of sugary sweets … and drink copious amounts of sugary drinks.  Let this be a lesson to you all.

Annoyance on Wheels

Last night it took me 3 hours to get home.  A lovely way to cap off work before the Christmas break I thought.

The problems all started at Victoria Park station.  I managed to get there in perfect time to catch the 9:12pm train.  Unfortunately that train was cancelled but I thought to myself, “no fear, the 9:18 will be here!”  The informative automated voice which speaks from the wall told me that the 9:18 was on its way (albeit with no indication of when it would be arriving).

9:18 - no train, could be late
9:20 - still no train, it will be though
9:25 - I’d better contact my loved ones
9:30 - I’ll press the button again to see what’s going on … “Trains departing from Victoria Park, platform one are; the 9:42 departing in 16 minutes”
9:31 - lucky I contacted the loved ones

But the dramas continued even when I boarded the train.  What is normally a 10 minute journey at most, turned into a 25 minute agonising expose into how crazy British football fans enjoy beating the crap out of each other whilst the crazy Irish football fans just murdered each other on religious grounds and the evolutionary implications of this (as told by the drunken Belfast-ian who was in love with Australians for being able to have a drink with the ‘enemies’ after playing sport).

Obviously missing my connecting train I waited for announcements at Flinders Street, like the screen advised me to do, but nothing came.  No voice.  No man.  No details of the next train.  Trains came, were quickly emptied and hurried off to the rail yard.  Why could they not take me home?

Finally, after many platform changes and a couple of almost gibberish announcements I was on the train home.  Despite a slow journey home I managed to walk through the door at midnight - not bad considering I left work at 9pm.  But here’s the best part, the only people to provide an explaination as to why I was delayed was provided by Dad and Mel’s mum and that was because of the weather.  The best Connex could do was “apologise for any inconvenience caused.”  Very helpful.