Last week I had some “beef” with one of my service providers. The “Cliff Notes” version is that I pay them a monthly fee for an add-on service on one of my dedicated servers. I signed up for the service in 2006 and have paid monthly since that date. I’ve been a loyal customer to the company for many years and continue to recommend them to my clients and to those that ask for my short list of great companies providing that service. Last week, I learned that the service was not being performed as expected (at all … ever). Needless to say, I was very disappointed. My experience with this company has been nearly close to perfect over the years in terms of price, level of support, knowledge of their industry etc.

We used a saying growing up “pennies make dollars”; which basically means that ever penny counts and you shouldn’t devalue one single cent. I felt that I’d wasted some money on services that were not provided as expected. However, with fair compensation and prompt resolution of the issue, I would happily remain a customer.

1st Response

Upon learning that the service was not being performed, my first response was to contact a technical support person to ensure that the issue was corrected immediately. They were prompt in correcting the issue within 24 business hours.

2nd Response

My second response was to request compensation for the monthly fees that I’ve paid previously for a service that was not performed. I was told that the issue would be ‘researched’ by folks higher up on the food chain and that the Vice President of the technical division would email me that evening, then follow-up within 7-10 business days with a compensation decision. I was salty about the 7-10 day wait, but I’m a patient person (generally).

Week #2

After one week, I had not received one follow-up message regarding my compensation. I made several (ok, LOTS of) calls to the company requesting some resolution. Last night, a technical support representative informed me that they could only give me a few months of free service (going forward), but they would not compensate me for the fees I’ve paid for the service over the years. I immediately felt as if someone hacked my bank account, withdrew some of my funds for kicks & giggles, then said “My bad. We’ll stop doing that, but we won’t return your money.”

Last Resort

I was mad (ok, livid). I was prepared to move to another company, but first I drafted a 140-character statement regarding my disappointment and posted it on Twitter. The company has a Twitter account therefore, I ensured that I included their twitter id in my statement. Long story short, late last night (within 2 hours of my initial Twitter post) the V.P. of the Technical division contacted me via email and offered fair compensation.

Kudos to the company in question for taking my complaint seriously and responding in a prompt manner! That level of service (fair & responsible to EVERYONE) is why I’ve been loyal to the company for nearly 4 years.

Lessons:

• Whether your business is small, large or x-small, your money is valuable and you should expect that your service providers value your hard earned dollar. Periodically review your outgoing expenses to service providers and ensure that you’re getting what you’re paying for.
• If you are in business, don’t wait until your customers are irate before you respond. Always search for the win-win.
• Social media has provided a forum for the little guy to be heard when no one is listening. – Speak up if you feel that you’ve not been taken seriously, but choose your battles wisely.

BTW, Are you on Twitter? Post your Twitter ID in the comments area.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!
Kishau

Websmith Group
3900 Westerre Parkway, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23233
W: http://www.websmithgroup.com
F: http://www.facebook.com/websmithgroup
T: http://www.twitter.com/kishau