Doesn't use seat belts or crates when transporting dogs, had an unprofessional communication style…read morewhen it comes to scheduling, and a poor attitude when receiving honest criticism about it. When she visited during our initial appointment she took the time to tell us very little about her business and how it stood out from others. She just kind of sat there for most of it unless prompted to say anything.
I'm the client, you tell me, you sell me the service. You build rapport with me. It's not guaranteed. It's like a job interview. Why should I give you my $ or trust? I decided to give her a try because the services themselves looked good on the website and some people don't give the best first impressions; we are all human. I also need my dog walked more because I am disabled and can't do it enough myself; he is being trained for service work.
During her visit, she could have told me all of the following, as it was apparently important to know for scheduling, but none of it was clear, especially on the web form. It claimed I had the appointment time I had asked for. I would have been fine with it saying I needed to pick from available slots or pick a "window" of time, but none of that was said and everything was open. I worked have worked as a production manager, tutor and counselor for several years having to make appointments with people of all kinds and managing a schedule, and the client should not be expected to do guesswork when it comes to scheduling. This is not a date or friends hanging out; it's a business transaction.
"Blocks of time are how we do scheduling in our system since we have other visits, have to deal with traffic, etc. If you want a certain time we can plan on that in the future but it needs to be put in the notes when scheduling. We don't normally schedule non-petsitting visits on the weekends but I am available tomorrow, no availability at 9 though. Or we can look at next week, let me know what works!"
So I'm paying her to make me guess? My time is valuable, too. I told her that this was not a good way to do business and that I would not be requiring her services, and she, like many business owners in Corvallis who can't take honesty, said "You're the only one in two years who has had a problem with the web form." Thicken that skin. There will be more, it's only been two years, especially if she doesn't fix the web portal's problems. Here was my response:
"Being able to take constructive criticism about one aspect of your business shows maturity, and that was not what was just shown to me. Taking this attitude with a dissatisfied customer is poor customer service, and I will be sure to pass that on. A customer's experience is their experience even if you did your best, and I'm speaking from just as many years working people as you are, and often very hostile, angry people because I am a counselor and also worked in retail. Two years in a very short time for something to go wrong with a web form. There will be problems in the future because there always are, and just because no one else has said anything doesn't mean there isn't a problem. People are overly nice in Corvallis, even to the point of dishonesty. I would have never made it at my various jobs with the lack of scheduling clarity I have experienced here. In a big city with real traffic and more appointments to cover, plus a culture of telling it like it is, people would have been more critical than me. Trust me."
Then she said: "I'm in a little bit of shock by your response, it seems a bit excessive. I didn't say thing negative towards you. You choosing a different provider is your choice and I respect that. I said good luck in your search because I hope you find a company that is more in line with what you and Wesley's needs are, if you took that the wrong way, I'm sorry you feel that way but that's not how it was meant."
Some things she said at the end were fine, but they were undone by shifting blame back onto me instead of being willing to take a look at her business. Customer service is not about saying the right things and shifting the customer's feelings about a problem with your business back onto them. It's about taking responsibility, looking at problems, and making changes when necessary. Such as "I'm sorry you had this experience with my business. I will do what I can to make sure it doesn't happen in the future. Good luck." And then take an inventory about what went wrong and see what can be done, if anything. Even if a customer is being terrible and it's all their fault, shifting blame back onto them makes things worse. This was not my fault; this was me being honest about an actual problem that will continue if not fixed and I wanted to not get involved with it beyond pointing out.
Try being a dog walker in Portland, Seattle, or San Francisco. People have to have a thick skin there and if you find me shocking, well, we have had very different life experiences.
