[324] Have You Experienced Bad Customer Service?
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Hey guys, you're listening to the English Made Simple show. This is episode number 324, number 324, numero trescientos veinticuatro. Welcome back amigos y amigas. Welcome back to today's episode. It's your host Milena from EnglishMadeSimple.net. I'm here with another episode of the English Made Simple show and today's topic is something we can all relate to, bad customer service.

If you've ever had an experience where you felt more like a number than a valued customer when you were shopping or buying anything, then this episode is for you. And if you are somebody who works in customer service, then this episode is also for you. Now, let's start off with a question. Why is it that we always remember the bad service when we receive bad service in a shop or...

Just, you know, buying anything and then you get really bad service or dealing with service providers. But then rarely we remember the good customer service that we get. Why is it that we always remember the bad service? Interesting, isn't it? Well, today I'll be sharing a personal story about something that has happened to me recently. My husband and I have just finished building a new home.

And we felt really frustrated just going through the whole process and dealing with builders and tradies. So we experienced poor communication by these professionals and just overall unprofessional service. So that's what we experienced. And I decided to record today's episode to talk about that. And, you know, maybe some of you can relate, okay? And maybe we'll learn something today. Yeah.

And I'll also be exploring what makes customer service truly great and what separates the good from the bad. So get comfy, everybody, and let's dive into the world of customer service. Let me tell you about my experience. About three years ago, I started the journey of building a new home. So together with my husband, I was excited, full of ideas.

And I was looking forward to working with professionals like designers and builders who would help make my vision come to life. So my husband and I sat down and we drew this very amateurish looking floor plan. So it was just a sketch of what our house would look like. So we wanted to work with somebody who's a professional, who has the right tools to make this come to life.

We expected a smooth and enjoyable process, but we found ourselves dealing with some real customer service nightmares. Maybe not as bad as I'm making it out to be, but look, I have certain expectations when it comes to customer service because I would treat customers differently to how I was treated during the whole process of building this new home.

So I don't know about you, but getting good customer service is really important if you're running a business. Are there any business owners listening to this episode?

My husband and I decided to go with a local South Australian building company that has over 30 years of experience. So they have credibility. And we were just both excited because, you know, they can do a non-standard build. So we decided to build a house that is not standard, not something typical that you will see in suburbs. And we just wanted to have our own custom built home.

So it took us one year to find a parcel of land, a section where this house is going to be. Then it took us another year maybe to actually think about the type of house we want to build on this land. And then we drew up floor plans. In other words, we created the layout of the home, like how many bedrooms, living area, garage, and so on.

And then we signed a building contract with a builder that we found the same year. Okay. And this process took two years. So everything was going well. Everything was going smoothly. And then we waited for about a year. Nothing was happening for about a year for the builder to start building because they need to do their paperwork. They need to get permits before they start the building process. So that takes about a year. So,

All up, we were maybe three years in since we decided, since we had this grand idea to build a house. Okay. Now, after we signed the contract, I had the impression that they will be guiding us. The builder will be guiding us through the whole process, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

I also thought we were going to be treated like valued customers. Okay, we're going to be treated special with special attention because we kept telling them that it was our first time building a house. We had never built a house before. You would think that the builders will have systems in place that follow up with customers. You would think they have people who call you to keep you updated on each stage.

of the build, of each stage in the process. Nope, no one called us. They just sent us letters, physical letters in the mail, and we were supposed to understand everything that they sent through. We were supposed to be engineers and builders and I don't know what else. But I got the impression that they wanted us to make the final decision without any consultation.

So there was no number for us to call. That's another thing. There was no number on these letters for us to call if we had questions, which left me shocked. This company has been in business for 30 years, yet they operate as if we're living in ancient times and not the 21st century. The whole experience made us feel like we were just a transaction for them. This is just a quick transaction for this builder. So it was a transactional experience, not personal experience.

Okay, what do I mean when I say a transactional experience? What I mean by this? Being treated impersonally or as just another sale without much care for the person behind the purchase. Okay, they didn't really take the time to talk with us and find out who we are.

and what the expectations are and so on. It felt like I was just another transaction for them, like they weren't really interested in my needs. Isn't that a big no-no, amigos y amigas? What do you think about that? From the very beginning, it felt like I was just another transaction for them,

You know that feeling like they're just trying to get you in and out without actually caring about you or the home you're about to build. It really doesn't make you feel good as a customer. But it was too late to back out because once you sign the contract, that's it. You're basically locked in. Seems as though once you sign the contract with the builder, that's it. The builder seems to have more rights than you, the customer.

Rightio. Here's what else I noticed. Lack of personalization. The builder treated me as if I were just a number in their project list, not as a customer with specific needs and expectations. Right. That's what I've just described. A transaction. I felt like a transaction. Minimal communication.

So that's something I noticed. Whenever I had questions, the responses were short and didn't feel very reassuring. It was as if they wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible. There was no follow-up. After major decisions were made, there was little to no follow-up. It felt like I was left on my own to figure things out. Not exactly what I would call good customer service. I will explain what this all means very soon.

So let's go through some of the phrases that I've just mentioned. To be on your own or to be left on your own. This means left without support or guidance, often having to handle things by yourself. So we didn't have much guidance from the builder. An example would be, I felt like I was left on my own to figure things out without any help from the builder.

And here's the thing. When you're building a home, you're making a huge investment. You want to feel valued as a customer and you want reassurance that the people working on your home care as much as you do. But unfortunately, that's not the vibe I got from this builder. Okay, let's move on to the next thing. It's not just the builders. We had to also deal with tradies. I'll explain what that is. What is a tradie? Well, what you should know is that

It is slang. So this word is slang. A tradie is an informal term used in Australia and New Zealand to describe a skilled tradesperson, such as a plumber, electrician, carpenter, or builder. Tradies are the professionals who perform hands-on work in various trades, often in construction, repairs, and maintenance. Do we have any tradies listening to this episode?

Now, I'm not skilled in any of these areas. I'm not an electrician. I'm not a carpenter, cabinet maker, or a plumber. Okay, so I have to call a tradie to fix plumbing issues, let's say, in your bathroom, electrician to fix your wiring, and so on. All right, guys, so what is a tradie? In short, if you need something fixed, built, or installed, a tradie is likely the person for the job.

Making sense, amigos y amigas? Alrighty. So back to tradies. We've also had to deal with what I call laid-back tradies. Okay, laid-back.

I'll explain what that is later on. I don't know if this is just in Adelaide or all of Australia. I think this is the case only in Adelaide that we come across these laid-back people. Now, I know the trades can have a more laid-back style, but professionalism should still be there, right? Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case for us.

Let me teach you some phrases first. What do I mean by laid back? Okay, laid back means relaxed, easygoing, sometimes to the point of seeming casual or unprofessional. Laid back. So some of the tradies had a laid back attitude, which wasn't ideal when it came to serious work like building a home. So we had to double check everything, even though we are not professionals.

What some of the things I noticed with trade is delayed responses. Getting a reply could take hours, sometimes even days. And when you're on a tight schedule with building, every hour matters. If something's delayed, you need to know right away so you can adjust your schedule.

What else? Lack of professionalism. Some of them were so laid back that it was hard to feel confident in their work. They'd show up late or reschedule at the last minute and there was no sense of urgency or care about the quality of the work.

At the end of the three years of this whole building experience, we still got our house built. It's still standing. It's standing upright. So that's all good. We haven't moved in yet. There's still some works happening on site. But the good thing is it's standing. It hasn't collapsed.

So they've done something right. Now, when you're the customer, you're putting your trust in people to deliver quality service. And in return, you want clear communication. As a customer, you want clear communication. Respect for your time and a sense that they actually care about doing a good job.

But here, I often felt like I was chasing after them to get updates. They weren't very proactive. Not exactly the customer service experience I hoped for. So this experience got me thinking about what makes customer service good or bad. Let me stop right here. Has anyone had bad customer experience? Maybe worse than mine. Has anyone had good customer experience?

Let's think about that. I'm sure everyone had either good or bad customer service they can remember. Here are a few things that I believe separates the good from the bad. And you can let me know if you agree or disagree with me.

Personalization. Good customer service means making the customer feel valued and understood. You're not just another transaction. You're someone they want to help. In my case, it would have meant the builder showing genuine interest in my ideas and vision for the home. And obviously, I was expecting advice and consultation as well from the builder because they have more experience than me.

Clear communication. If a company keeps you informed and responds quickly, it builds trust instantly. Whether it's a phone call, email or an SMS message, timely communication is key and maybe not Facebook for formal communication. If there's anything formal that needs to be discussed, they shouldn't use Facebook for these things.

Well, that's my opinion. Maybe some of you don't mind Facebook communication. I rarely use Facebook nowadays. I know I have my English Made Simple Facebook page there, but it became a lot of work. So I decided to take a pause and stop posting on there for now. Right. What's the next thing that is important for customer service if you want to give good customer service?

Well, follow-up and accountability. Now, I mentioned the word follow-up. Good service doesn't end when the deal is made, when you sign the contract, in our case. Following up to ensure everything is going smoothly shows that they care. I really appreciate the follow-up. As a customer, I really, really appreciate the follow-up.

And professionalism. This one is huge. Showing up on time, respecting deadlines, and treating customers with respect all go a long way in building a positive reputation. And credibility. Again, it builds trust with customers when you're professional. 100%. I am sure everyone listening would agree with me on this one.

Great. Now, I'd like to just explain what following up means along with an example. So, following up. What does it mean? You're checking in with someone after an initial conversation or a meeting to ensure everything is going well or to see if further help is needed. That's what follow up means. For example, good customer service includes following up with the customer to see if they are satisfied.

I also use this phrase as a noun. So it's kind of informal, but still, I appreciate the follow-up. Still, I hear people use this. So that's a bit of professional English for you, amigos y amigas. So what do you all think? Have you ever had bad customer service? What about good customer service? What do you think makes good customer service? Do you agree with me?

Hope you enjoyed today's episode, amigos y amigas. Thank you for listening. I think we're going to wrap it up for now. It's a bit of a long episode. I hope my experience sheds some light on the importance of good customer service and give you some ideas for what to look for in your own interactions with businesses.

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