Every other month, I cook up a ton of food to bring to my mother who suffers from Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT). Currently incurable, but not usually fatal, though it can be severely disabling in some people
She can no longer cook for herself except for toast and jam.
For Christmas I cooked up a LOT of food: Split Pea Soup, Lentil Chili, Yankee Pot Roast, Smoked Pork Medallions and Green Apple, Sausage & Cabbage Stew.
At least 50 containers.
Enough food for weeks...
One thing I had not thought of was her freezer capacity.
Since she doesn't cook, she has a small fridge.
50 containers would not fit. So I bought her a freezer from the Best Buy closest to me (about 35 miles).
I went online and ordered the freezer and chose the curbside pick up option. That was at 9:21 am.
I got an email saying the order was not quite ready, but they would contact me when it was.
At about 11:30am I decided to go get the freezer and made the 45 minute drive.
When I arrived, I asked the greeter guy at the front of the store where one checks in for curbside delivery. He pointed out the "Online Orders" sign by the registers.
After waiting at the unstaffed desk for about 5 minutes, I asked a cashier if there was someone to help me.
They replied "Online orders are by that pole in the middle of the store, we moved it last month". Someone really should have told the greeter, taken the sign down and moved it to the new area.!
As I approached the area, I could see my freezer a few feet from her desk with my name on it.
I checked in with the employee, who asked for my order number. After looking in her computer, she said the order was not quite ready and to come back in a couple hours.
I politely said I had driven 45 minutes and that could she make an exception. I pointed out the freezer not 3 feet from her.
"I can't give it to you, even if I wanted to".
Whaaaatttt!!!!!!
"The system takes at least 4 hours to process orders"
Wait a Mickey Mouse minute! Did you really say "even if you wanted to"? Thereby implying that you DON'T want to?
"Can I speak to your manager?"
Another 5 minutes goes by.... And here comes the manager.
"I can see my item right there. It even has my name on it and it is already paid for. Can you please release it?
Let me check the system, she said.
"I am sorry, but the system says your order is not ready yet."
What the Donald Duck is going on here?, I wanted to scream! But instead I said:
Is there anyone here who does NOT rely on your slow faulty system?
Let me get the general manager said the obviously-not-ready-to-think-on-her-own manager.
Once the GM got there, the first thing he said was... Yep... "Let me check the system"
Nooooo!!!! Please stay away from your system, please, please, please!
Oops, that came out in my "out-loud-voice"
He looked at me like I was Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas.
Look, I implored, I can see my freezer right at your feet. It is paid for, can't I just take it?
Obviously wanting this crazed lunatic out of his store, he said let me see what I can do.
He spent a few minutes typing in the "system" and with great fanfare he pronounced that he had a work around and that I could take the freezer.
"Could someone help me with it to the curb?" I asked, regretting the words as they came from my mouth.
Look, you are lucky I got this for you, he said matter of factly.
Having had enough, I got a flatbed cart and heaved it on there myself. I literally ran out of the store with the freezer, before the manager changed his mind.
What's this all got to do with your business?
I hope nothing, but here it goes anyway.
- Are your systems getting in the way of providing service, let alone great service?
- Has independent thought gone the way of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride?
- Are your systems slow, antiquated and slothful?
- How about your scripts? "even if I wanted to", I can assure you is not in the Best Buy customer service manual.
- Team communication: Your first point of client contact should have the necessary information to direct the client where they need to go. The greeter had been sending people to the wrong place for the past 30 days!
If you think this type of thing is not going on in your business, think again. Maybe not at this level, but it is happening.
Go check, right now!
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