I love it when my job is done for me. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s soooooo worth it. I owe a giant debt of gratitude to Jon Ferguson, who saw me present for the Cleveland Browns a year ago and was then kind enough to write me the following email. I think it will speak for itself.
Jeff,
I thought you might get a kick out of the conversations that I had with Trugreen customer service.
Jon
April, 2013
Trugreen: Trugreen can you hold?
Me: No, I…
(voice of man explaining the Trugreen computer menu system to customers using the phone)
Trugreen: This is Danielle, how can I help you?
Me: Hello Danielle, I was a Trugreen customer last year and I..
Trugreen: What is your phone number?
Me: 330-273-XXXX
Trugreen: We don’t have a record for that phone number. What is the address?
Me: You probably have it under my cell phone number. Try 440…
Trugreen: What is your cell phone number?
Me: (slow, deep breath) It is 440-289-XXXX
Trugreen: On Cabernet drive? We were out there today.
Me: I know you were; my wife told me you left a door hang on our door knob.
Trugreen: You’re welcome.
Me: (slow, deep breath) I’m not calling to thank you. I’m calling because, when you called me on December 14th I told you that I wanted to hold off service on my lawn until I ask for it, so that I can see how it looks and see if I can take care of it myself. When you called on March 7th, I said the same thing, that I wanted to hold off service on my lawn until I ask for it so that I can see how it looks and if I can take care of it myself.
Trugreen: (quiet voice) Customer wants to hold off until he sees what his lawn looks like will take care of himself do not treat until notified. Customer wants to hold off until he sees what his lawn looks like willtakecareofhimselfdonottreatuntilnotified.
Me: Are you talking to me?
Trugreen: No, I’m reading the notes on your account.
Me: You just read exactly what I told you, not to treat my lawn
Trugreen: Yes, that’s why I rescheduled it. For 30 days later.
Me: I didn’t want it rescheduled for 30 days later, I wanted it postponed until I notified you.
Trugreen: How would we know when that is?
Me: (deep breath, loosen jaw) By the phone call that I would make notifying you.
Trugreen: Do you want us to close your account?
Me: I don’t know what you do internally. I just want you to NOT treat my lawn unless I call you and explicitly tell you TO treat my lawn. If you send me an invoice for spraying my lawn today, I’m not going to pay it.
Trugreen: The invoice is in the door hang.
Me: I just told you that I’m not going to pay it.
Trugreen: When you pay the invoice then we’ll credit your account.
Me: I understand how receivables work. I’m not…
Trugreen: We’ll refund the amount for today’s treatment.
Me: I’m not going to pay for a service that I didn’t want so that you can refund me the money in the future or, more likely, end up with a positive balance on my account.
Trugreen: We can do whichever you like.
Me: I don’t want you to do either. I shouldn’t have gotten an invoice. I’m not going to pay the invoice. I told you not to spray my lawn. I don’t understand why these are difficult concepts.
Trugreen: Yes.
Me: Yes what?
Trugreen: Yes, sir.
Me: Don’t spray my lawn.
June, 2013
Trugreen: Trugreen can you hold?
Me: I’d prefer not t…
(voice of man explaining the Trugreen computer menu system to customers using the phone)
Trugreen: This is Amber, how can I help you?
Me: Hello Amber, I was a Trugreen customer and I spoke to Danielle in April…
Trugreen: Is your phone number 440-289-XXXX?
Me: Yes.
Trugreen: What is the address?
Me: It’s the address you have on file associate with my phone num… never mind. My wife called and told me that you were out spraying our lawn today.
Trugreen: Yes. We had a technician out there today.
Me: Why?
Trugreen: Why what?
Me: Why did you have someone spray my lawn today?
Trugreen: Because that’s what we do. We’re a lawn service company.
Me: I understand what your company does. But why did you spray MY lawn?
Trugreen: (slower) We’re a lawn service company.
Me: (Deep breath, pause)
Trugreen: Sir?
Me: I talked to Danielle in April and told her to discontinue spraying my lawn.
Trugreen: Our records show that you did not want your account closed.
Me: I told Danielle that I didn’t know what you do internally, just that I didn’t want you to spray my lawn unless I asked you to.
Trugreen: If you are dissatisfied with your service, or you continue to get weeds in your lawn, we would be happy to add an additional treatment at no additional cost.
Me: You can treat my lawn as many times as you like, but I’m not going to pay for it.
Trugreen: Would you like to close your account? I can take care of that for you.
Me: Yes. Please close my account.
Trugreen: A supervisor will call you in 24 through 48 hours.
Me: (through?) Why is a supervisor going to call me?
Trugreen: To close your account.
Me: I thought you said that you could take care of that.
Trugreen: I am. I’m sending a note to the supervisor now.
Me: And the supervisor will close my account.
Trugreen: The supervisor will tell us to close the account.
Me: I’m telling you to close the account. What are you going to do if I want it closed but the supervisor tells you to keep it open?
Trugreen: Sir?
Me: (slower) What are you going to do if I want it closed but the supervisor tells you to keep it open?
Trugreen: I heard you the first time. We don’t do that.
Me: Do what?
Trugreen: Keep accounts open that the customers want closed.
Me: Fine. Just don’t send me an invoice and don’t spray my lawn.
Trugreen: We’re a lawn service company. That’s what we do.
Me: Don’t spray my lawn.
So what can we learn from this shining example? Here are a few customer service tips that should be common sense but obviously need to be said:
- Listen to the problem before you ask for information (like address or phone number), this will make your customer feel like a human being!
- If you need to read the notes on the order, let the customer know that’s what you are about to do, then read them to yourself, silently. Or better yet, if another customer service rep has dealt with that person before and is familiar with the situation, pass it on to them.
- If a customer asks for something, give it to them the first time! Respecting a customer’s wishes might make him like your company! Imagine that!
Thank you, Jon! And thank you, Trugreen, for being so hilariously bad on the phone! I hope your calls were being recorded for quality assurance. But more importantly, I hope they think they gave you a quality outcome. Because I need more emails like this one.
