Modern Vespa

We need your help. Sportique is taking a long, hard look at our customer service (C.S.) and implementing a program to improve it. We don't think we are terrible but we know we can be better.

We are interested in your feelings and ideas. MV seems like a perfect forum to gain feedback. We would really appreciate some honest, thoughtful responses to these questions.

1) name an example of great C.S. you recently had (any business)
2) name an example of a C.S. failure.
3) what is the biggest C.S. deficiency at most scooter shops?
4) what industry do you turn to as an example of great C.S.?
5) how big of a role does communication take in C.S.?
6) how do you recommend taking on irate / rude customers?

Thanks for taking time to help.

One of the things that really get on my nerves is if I write a email requesting information on a product I found on a dealers/shop site and the dealer/shop does not get back to me.

Of course I could give them a call to follow up, but is it my job to push a shop to sell something???

Another thing that drives me up the wall is if I ask for information and I get a obviously bull**** answer. It shows me one of two things: either the shop/dealer has no idea what he is talking about, in which case I am glad I got that answer so I am warned about their professionalism, or they think that I am a fool and have no idea about what is going on. Either way I will not deal with them anymore...!

Hope this helps!

y'all should probably email Colin direct, I can see this thread spirialing out of control and being locked.

midnight rider has valid points. I'll try and answer your questions in order by no.

#1 believe it or not Comcast, when I called to question a doulbe billing for the same movie rented thru ondemand, they cs rep said he saw the issue and how about a credit for both since I had to call and get this resolved. I wasn't on the phone to him 2 min. total, I even thanked him for the great cs. Also subaru has always repsonded very timely on emails usually within 48 hrs. Great company.

#2piaggio usa. sent an email with a problem 3 months ago and resent 2x's since still no email back or phone call or nothing. even to say we got your email and we are sorry would have been better than nothing.

#3 not listening fully to the customer to ensure the cs understands everything. Also cs trying to bs their way through a techical question when they have no knowledge.

#4 ?????
#5 HUGE Great customer service is 90% about communication.
#6 In the store they want to act all big and bad in front of everyone else. Explain to them to please stick to the facts and we will work with you to get a resolution to everyones satisfaction but yelling and screaming is not helping and only delaying getting the proper solution.

hope this helps

\

I hope not. I asked for it, guys. Blast away. I will admit, I came to MV specifically because I felt it was a thoughtful forum where the complaints would be legitimate. Moderators, please let nature take its course, here.

LOL... I Busted the Lambretta!

1) name an example of great C.S. you recently had (any business)
The most recent one that comes to mind was Vespa St. Louis, who went all out to take care of us on the Cannonball by staying open super late, cutting us deals on parts, buying us lunch and being an all-around awesome bunch of guys!

2) name an example of a C.S. failure.
Days Inn, Cincinnati OH. Room was atrocious with mold all over the shower, a/c smelled like piss, etc, but the front desk didn't care at all. I had been told the day before that I wouldn't be charged until I checked out, but at checkout they told me that the room had already been charged and they refused to issue any sort of refund. The manager wasn't available and they told me to call her back next week and didn't offer to call me back. I'm placing the entire charge in dispute with the credit card now, their loss for poor service all around.

3) what is the biggest C.S. deficiency at most scooter shops?
Lack of responsiveness, length of time it takes to order parts or complete repairs, inaccurate orders (wrong parts or quantity), bad information or advice (especially guessing at answers).

4) what industry do you turn to as an example of great C.S.?
It's hard to find anywhere these days, to be honest... definitely NOT telephone companies, computer companies, Internet providers, cable companies or major airlines that's for sure! Some companies whose customer service has impressed me include jet Blue, Honda and Maggiano's Little Italy.

5) how big of a role does communication take in C.S.?
Huge... if you don't have good, clear communication, it's very easy for things to go wrong and end up with upset customers. It's crucial for setting the correct expectations in the first place and for staying on the level with the customer when issues arise later.

6) how do you recommend taking on irate / rude customers?
Focus on the problem, take the customer seriously, ask what you could do, to make the customer happy again, and figure out what you can do, in order to make that happen, or come as close as possible. To avoid future incidents, be sure to identify where things went wrong and take steps to prevent that from happening in the future. Of course, occasionally certain people can be completely inconsolable and impossible to deal with. In those cases there may not be a lot you can do, except let them get out all their fat aggression and hope the go away.

Hope this helps... and thanks for being interested in providing good customer service! It's not that hard to do for the most part, but it is lacking a lot of the time, from what I read on here. Good luck!

I think the most important thing in customer service is a staff that both loves the bikes AND wants every customer to leave happy, every time.

It is possible, with even the most problematic of customers.

Don't ignore anyone in the shop, no matter how busy you are.....how long does it take to notice someone, smile and say I'll be with you in a minute?

Don't do the hounding salesman thing either....SUX.

Remind the staff not everyone is a veteran scooterist.....showing attitude toward newbies may be acceptable at rallies, but in a retail environment it is death for return customers.

Respect your customers time, return calls about bikes in the service bay, go the extra mile and your customers will take note.(and tell they're friends)...

Take the time to reward/praise great work by staff....if an employee is excelling at customer service, make sure you let them know, make sure everyone working for you knows......

And finally do not screw with the choir......club members have a huge influence on the scooter world. They network. Screw one clubby and you have screwed everyone in the club indirectly. And we talk, and remember......like elephants. (must resist the cheap shot here, thou I shouldn't.....)

Good luck...

R

8)

A good thread subject in my view!

Customer service is best done by full communication, and transparent honesty.

If a cock-up happens, explain it.

If a precise part isn't available, beg borrow or 'steal' from somewhere - get the customer back on the road in whatever way you can, even if it's a loan bike for a few days.

If the customer gets irate for some reason, get your mind into their shoes - they may be near explosion because of unrelated factors.

Customers, don't leave abusive phone messages, write a detailed email instead. I can understand why one can rant at an answering machine - but it gets no sympathy from the dealer. Dealers, listen to the rants on the answering machine and try to sort out the trigger that made it happen.

Good dealers and loyal customers become personal friends after a while, this enables both to separate the roles and form a very just relationship.

Bagel, thanks. That was an excellent response - exactly what I was looking for. I hop you don't mind if I use some of this verbatim in meetings.

You said a mouthful. It seems like communication is the key and B.S. leads to more B.S.

Responses:

2) local drive through tonite, the guy who took our order was rude and got our drinks wrong, turns out he was manager, and I told him to stop screwing around with his crew and get the order correct.

3) Lack of knowledge of Vintage scoots and/or how to work on them.
4) In and Out, 95% of the time always friend and smiling.
5) One time we were out to dinner at a local eatery, they were slow, so I asked the waitress why, and she told us the truth, two people were no call no shows, so they were short staffed. She tried her best and because she tried her best and was honest, I left a big tip.
6) I worked in the many jobs where I had to deal with rude customers, some you couldnt help, but some just wanted to know you understood their position and that you will what you can to help them. But with the ones who are just plain out rude, I stopped them right there and said "Hey, Im talking to you with respect and will except the same" or "Im not your family member or punching bag, dont talk to me like that", "I understand your upset but that isnt going to help, so lets start over".

I give you a lot of credit for even asking, I met two different dealers in Florida on a recent visit, one was really nice and friendly(owned by an English couple), but the other was Rude and made it seem like we were wasting their time because we were from out of state.

Good luck

Manny

see topic CoverAlls SeatSkinz: received and reviewed - the whole story

1) great customer service.... hmmm.... I believe it will be Bike Nashbar
www.nashbar.com ( cycling supplies ) Awesome guys and gals.
2) recently.... hard to say... uh.... probably at a restaurant here in Tuscaloosa "Southland" Meal wasn't the best and we told the owner not for a freebie but so he'd know , but he acted like he didn't give a poop.
3) local shop seems to lost when problems hit.
4) prob, non-profit organizations like Girl Scouts, YMCA. Those thin mints are incredible.
5)big big role. I like to have a competent PR person to talk too, but as long as they don't try to push things too hard.
6) Louisville slugger! JK'ing... ? Sometimes there is no perfect solution. I am a LE Officer and this is 85% of my job daily. Getting someone to calm down, and show them that you want to help and do better in the future. Show them that their business IS important, but not giving in just because they throw a temper tantrum. Some have used this technique as a way of getting around paying or more important issues.

[quote="snapshot05"] You are dead on! I forgot about being treated like an idiot at some shops.

the main problem i see with scooter shops is sending out the wrong parts.

it doesn't matter who it is either. i have gotten the wrong parts from scooterworks, asc, pride of cleveland, motorsport, etc.

i don't know what it is about scooter shops, but they always seem to just toss stuff in the box and never double check it. i have a huge pile of crap in my garage that was the wrong part.

1) Recently, I went to a printer to get some specialty paper cut to a custom size on behalf of the company I work for. They were super quick, just did it while I stood there waiting to pay, and then didn't charge anything for it. They were quite pleasant as well. We went back after that.

2) I went to the same printer to have some marketing material printed. They quoted it, we placed the order and gave them a deposit. When I went to pick up the proofs, I was informed that the final bill would be higher and that the person quoting the job had screwed up. That happens, but usually, that sort of thing gets caught before the proofing stage. We met somewhere in the middle on price. I doubt we would have been refunded our deposit had we canceled the job, because they had already gone ahead and done the proofs. So it all worked out, but we had one expectation, they had another.

3) I think lack of interest in the product is the biggest issue. People who are legitimately interested tend to know something about the product. Whether your people give a damn is really the biggest factor in customer service. I've been to shops where people care, and shops where people don't. I've been to shops where some care and others don't. When people care about the products, the industry, the lifestyle, then I'm interested in supporting what they're doing. I will buy from them before turning to the cheapest place to get what I'm looking for.

I was at a shop here, picking up some things I had ordered. They were slammed and the owner asked if I wouldn't mind talking to people on the floor. Being interested in scooters, I went out and talked to several people. 2 of them went home with bikes that same day, one of them came back after going to another shop in town to see what they had too.

After that, I think it's all about communication skills.

4) I can't really think of an industry where CS is really consistently great.

5) Communication is a big factor. If everyone has their expectations on the table, things become much easier. If you can figure out the expectations of your customers and deliver on anything you promise them, you won't have many customer service issues.

Your people who interact with customers have to be able to keep cool and be non-intimidating. They have to be able to hold a conversation with a broad spectrum of people. If your employees care about what they're doing, and you they talk with people, you're light years ahead of anyone else.

6) There is a tolerable and low level of rudeness that I think is acceptable *initially* from customers with a beef. Think about the times you put your money down and something wasn't done right. You're annoyed because you have to go and deal with getting things figured out. It's a pain, and many of the times you've done it, it was an uphill battle to get satisfaction.

If you work on diffusing that situation starting the moment someone comes to you and handle it in a cool and calm manner, people usually change their tone. That's not easy to do when someone is coming at you out of nowhere yelling and screaming.

1. we stayed at the new ritz-carlton for our anniversary and the service there was the best i've had in denver. thoughtful, they anticipated our needs and were never pushy. they did more than what was expected.

2. dealing with my credit card company is usually terrible because it's obvious they're reading from a script and not actually trying to help me resolve my issue. also, the airlines. i hate them so much. i've noticed in the local scooter shops i'm getting sized up when i step on the lot. if i'm not buying they don't care why i'm there.

3. the inability to say "i don't know the answer but i can try to find out" is where most CS issues start, i think. most scooter shops are trying to sell you something. when i have a question, i want a knowledgeable answer not some BS to get me to stick around. we can tell if you're making things up or half-assing it. again, doing more than is expected goes a long way. and answering my emails.

4. high-end hotels and some small, family-run businesses can have great CS. they treat you like a person instead of a dollar sign. they seem to genuinely want you to be happy with them and to come back and to tell your friends. it seems many of the local businesses forget about you as soon as you're out the door.

5. communication is everything to me. if i'm trying to make an informed decision about something that could involve thousands of my dollars, i'm relying on the shop "experts" to at least guide me in the right direction. answer my questions, and the follow-up questions and take the time to actually *talk* to me. that's priceless.

6. i don't mean this to sound flippant but don't give them a reason to be irate or rude. i get angry when CS people are impatient and dismissive and patronizing and they act like they can't be bothered. if CS isn't your thing, please go do something else. on the other hand, dealing with rude customers will happen. do not, under any circumstances, be rude in return. my grandmother suggests killing them with kindness, which sounds easier than it is. try to resolve the issue so that you and the customer both feel progress has been made.

Personally, I love that after only a couple of visits my dealer knows me by name. Although probably psychological, when someone at a business knows my name I feel loyal to them. If i went somewhere else I feel like I would be "cheating".
i HATE when i know more information on the product being sold than the salesperson. It is their job to familiarize themsleves with their product. It makes me feel as though everything thats comes out of their mouth is bullshit. It happens to me with cars a lot and once at a vespa dealer when the dude told me the GTS goes between 90-100 mph. he said he got his up to 100 with no mods.

Yeah, I'd echo the same. Dealer not calling me back to tell me anything about whether my scooter is ready or what's going on. Sales staff who know less about a specific scooter than I do, and rather than admit it, they bull$hite you with some crap that you know is wrong. Perfect example is when the GTS300s started showing up, I went in to a local dealer and the woman who I spoke with knew nothing about the new scooter. Clueless. I might as well have asked my dry cleaner about it. Even though I knew it was arriving at a nearby Vespa dealer the next day, she didn't even know that. I think a shop has to keep their own employees in the loop of new products and things like that. I also like to see shops involved in the local scooter scene somehow. Occassionally hold a scooter event or a ride. But that's just good business.

I'm still waiting for the Free Top Case for my Piaggio Fly 150. This incentive was the reason that I bought my scooter when I did.

I am totally disappointed in the selling dealer. Based on the fact that every other Fly purchaser received their promotional top case in less than three months - and mine will soon be approaching four months - it appears that this dealer has no interest in supporting his customers as it should.

Next step will be small claims court.

FINALLY!! The dealer called about an hour ago to tell me that UPS delivered the top case today - 4 months and 3 days after I took delivery.