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TOO many companies merely pay lip service to improving their customer service, and businesses in Hawaii are no exception. They neglect important details that are crucial to building customer rapport that would ensure repeat business. Don’t bank on
good serviceThe following is an example of how a local bank nearly lost my business as a result of one branch's bureaucratic stance.
This branch was located inside my neighborhood supermarket. The issue was hardly a matter my bank should have given me a hard time about, since the transactions involved deposits, not withdrawals.
Teller: "I can deposit this check into your personal account, but I can't deposit this other check into your business account."
Me: "Why not?"
Teller: "We can't do business deposits because they take too much time and we don't want to inconvenience our customers."
Me: "Who's being inconvenienced? There's no one else in line. Look, how long would it take to process a check -- 20 seconds?"
We proceeded to debate this for five minutes, each of us repeating the same arguments like a broken record. Finally, the teller relented and processed the check, albeit in a petulant manner.
From a PR standpoint, this transaction was a disaster -- because by this time a long line had formed and everyone was in earshot of our heated discussion.
Ultimately, since the check was deposited without any problem, it puzzled me that any teller would be allowed to argue with a customer about such a ridiculous matter.
A few months later, I returned to the offending bank branch and -- oh, wonderful -- ended up with the same teller. It didn't take more than a second for her to notice my business deposit slip.
Then, as if on cue, she uttered in a monotone voice, "I'm sorry, I can't process this check right now. If you like, you can drop it in the drop-box."
"This is a large check," I said. "I'd prefer a receipt now, please."
The teller tilted her head slightly, the way an adult prepares to reprimand a child. She said, in a condescending tone, "Ma'am, we talked about this last time. We can't process a business check because it will cause unnecessary delays to our other customers."
"You said that last time when there were no customers behind me," I said. "There's no one behind me now. Who am I holding up?"
Replied the teller, "Well, we expect to get very busy soon."
The branch manager, who had been listening, then came over and adamantly repeated the policy to me, over and over. I wondered if her strategy was to induce battle fatigue by engaging me in a battle of wills.
Even though the manager finally relented by stating that she "would take my deposit this time," I did not feel victorious, especially when she added tersely, "We would be happy to handle your personal transactions, but business transactions should be done at the branch across the street."
In effect, she was telling me that despite the bank's philosophy of "one-stop shopping," I was not welcome at her branch.
NEEDLESS to say, I did not return for a few years. Fortunately, the tellers at my new branch seemed to truly appreciate my business. They learned my name quickly and used it often. They made me feel like a valued customer.
I did go back recently to that offending branch at my neighborhood supermarket, and to its credit my business deposits are now accepted there without hesitation.
But the aggravation continues.
One day, a young male teller approached me in line to prepare my deposit in advance. As he placed by deposit slip and the corresponding check -- from a well-known Hawaii retailer -- onto his clipboard, I leaned in close and quietly asked him not to hold the clipboard up for public display.
He looked at me wide-eyed and sarcastically responded, "Oh, I didn't know your deposit was so confidential!"
I took a deep breath and silently felt sorry for my bank. Good help must be hard to find.
Lee Hiramoto is a Honolulu customer service consultant.