I just received my first batch of work from Oak Master Tailor and they are perfectly done…read more..
Let me say that again.
The tailoring is *perfect*
I got some jeans, a skirt and a pair of pants taken in. My daughter got a dress taken down an entire two sizes. Both look flawless.
When I met Terry, the Tailor, I was excited to meet a hometown man who definitely knew his stuff when it came to not just tailoring but couture, fashion houses, art and fashion history, etc.
It made me hopeful because, unlike some other cities, Mobile still struggles to make space for progressive, current black owned business.
However, I fear the "Mobile mindedness" curse may strike in the case of the customer service training here.
Terry is one person. He can't do it all.
The first time I called I spoke to him and his warmth and friendliness is what made me decide to take a chance on him.
However, a personal event prevented him from meeting his projected deadline.
No big deal, things happen...
But the young lady who called to tell me this was ill-prepared as a customer facing employee.
I was notified the mid-day on the day I was supposed to pickup. She did not offer me a new pickup time.
So I said "ok I'll come tomorrow morning!"
*Then* she said "it won't be until after 3"
So I said "ok that's fine, but I think I should receive some kind of discount on my next order."
Let's stop here:
What I said is that I *plan* on giving you future business, but feel I should be compensated for this inconvenience.
As a business owner, this is a *small* cost to maintain trust between yourself and your client.
She puts me on hold and comes back to tell me that it is difficult to take in jeans and the dress is also difficult.
Wrong.
Answer.
I then tried my best to explain, as a fellow business owner and someone who has been recognized professionally for customer service from several international hospitality brands I've worked for, why this is not the best route.
Regardless of how many times I said "as a business owner to a business owner" it seems she felt I was disgruntled and relayed that to another employee.
The other employee called me to better explain why there was a delay and I fully understood and didnt mind the delay.
That's not the point.
The point is that, in business you are exchanging two things:
1) an expectation
2) trust.
You set an expectation and when you meet it, you gain the customer trust....and trust means business.
It won't matter how perfect my jeans turn out if I now know that if my clothes are going to be late, I won't find out until halfway through the day and I also won't be compensated for that lack of follow-up.
Again. Terry, his sister who reached out to me and his work...are impeccable.
But I hope they are not sabotaged by naive customer service agents.
Here's a free lesson:
Dealing with customers is like dealing with toddlers.
If you set an expectation, they really don't care why the trust is being broken.
And if you break the trust, you better have something handy to smooth things over.
If I tell my kids we are going to the zoo. They get excited because they are going to the zoo.
If I then look at my bank account and realize we have to shift gears. I can just say "oh sorry. I'm broke. We arent going" and prepare for meltdowns.
Kids don't understand money and don't care.
You said we were going. And now you're full of it.
What is a better option is saying "hey we can't go to the zoo. But we can go to the park, and how about we get some ice cream?"
Is it the zoo?
No.
But it is *something* ...so the kids are disappointed but still jazzed about the park and ice cream makes it clear you are making an effort to make amends.
That is ******exactly******* how this situation should have been handled.
Firstly, I should have been contacted *as soon* as they knew my order would be delayed. Like 10a when they open, not 2pm.
Secondly, that employee should have had an offer *in hand* that was not a large financial impact on Terry but was enough to make amends.
$5 off the next alteration, a small gift card, shoot a damn ham sammich!
*something*
Like this is customer service basics.
Thirdly, she absolutely should NOT have come to me with the answer/excuse that my pieces were "hard" ....
Then they expectation should have been clear from the beginning when I dropped them off. I'm going by *your* time that *you* set.
I'm not the one who gave you a deadline.
You gave you a deadline. So ...if you knew it was hard, you should have given yourself an extra few days!
Anyway. I will continue to do business with them because, as I said, the work is flawless and Terry and his sister are good people.
And I have faith that they will read this review and coach the young lady on the phones that day.
