Redemption

I had a terrible customer service experience.

I know, boohoo, everyone has them all the time.  Why bother to write about it?

Because there is redemption, that's the amazing part.  

Here goes.

I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair.  Bought in 2000, that's right 11 going on 12 years ago.  Love that chair.

It has leather arm pads and over the years the leather wore through, no surprise - I spend way, way too much time at my desk.

So I look up Herman Miller on the web and get the company's head office number in Toronto.  I want to call to ask what I do about the arm pads, where can I get them repaired/replaced.  I'm happy to pay, I'm not looking for a freebie.

'If you know your party's extension dial it now otherwise stay on the line to leave a message in our general mail box, we check our general mail box frequently'.  

I don't know anyone's extension, I leave a general mail box message.

That's Monday morning.  Tuesday I leave another one.  Wednesday another one.

Thursday I leave another one, and it was a little…demanding let's say.

A terrible customer service experience.  I was frustrated and angry.

I start thinking, it is a sales organization, if I'm not buying 25 of these $900 chairs no one cares.  I think all sorts of things.  You do, don't you?

Thursday afternoon I get some time so I work the internet.  I figure I'll go to a retailer and just order what I need.  I start with the US Herman Miller site hoping I can find the pads and just order it.

I find out that this chair has a 12 year warranty, that's right 12 years!    Maybe that's why they don't take my call?

Ok so I call the US Herman Miller main number and get a real person.  I explain my need for a replacement.  The nice young lady refers me to a Herman Miller retailer…I notice the address is on the floor immediately below the Herman Miller head office…great I think, back into the merry go round.

It's a separate company, just happens to carry Herman Miller, just happens that they are in the office floor immediately below head office.  Ok fine.

I get warranty service on the line, Jenn.  

Right away I explain the problem and my frustrations.  She tells me that the person in charge of the general mail box upstairs has been away sick.  

Normally I would boil with frustration at the dumbness of dropping a communication pipeline because someone is away, and it does appear that the two separate companies do know about each other…

Before I can air my unhappiness she, Jen springs into action.

She has me read her the serial number on the bottom of the chair.  Yes it is still under warranty, sorry you're having trouble with the chair.  They can replace the arm pads at no charge, the technician will appear at my home office and do the work also no charge.  She will contact me as soon as the arms are delivered to her office.

Perfect.  Fast, efficient, and friendly.  Perfect.

After the call I get a confirming email from Jen.  Perfect again.

I email back and say, you know Jen, since the chair is still under warranty, the bolster that offers back support is breaking up a bit, can this be replaced too when the tech arrives?

Absolutely. She will order it right now and the tech will have it with him.

Perfect.

This company works very hard to have excellent systems to allow Jen to do her job efficiently. They have trained Jen very well in all the processes and how to deal with customers.  The whole thing was a triumph of customer service and professionalism.

So why am I writing about it?

One little thing, just one, screwed it all up (ok I'm over it now, Jen was a delight to be so helpful and efficient), the person checking the general voice mail system was sick and there was no system to allow me to communicate with the organization.  No fail over, no backup.  And there was no 'press 1 for service, press 2 for sales, press 0 to get a real person'.  

We have to be careful that our beloved and polished systems and processes are end to end perfect.  

Ok, so I mentally made up with Herman Miller after a great recovery.  Later that day I went to a Herman Miller show room and bought a perhaps too expensive coffee table - but hey it's worth it, the customer service is great!

sellwood