I’ve got a great idea, although I’m not so sure you’ll think it’s great! I’m going to forward all my customer calls regarding lost, late or incorrect parts deliveries to you. That way you can sense what it’s like to be trapped in the pillory while an irate customer throws rocks at you for a change. I look at it as a new kind of sensitivity training.
Not excited about it? I can see why. Having a customer burn holes in your soles with a lit cigarette can be a bit disconcerting, but I’m not sure I’m the only one who is supposed to be walking around on his toes! Not when all it takes to avoid the uncomfortable realities of abuse can be avoided by ensuring the part that is ordered and sent is the right part for the vehicle.
It’s not always your fault? I know that, but it isn’t always mine either. The question is, who are the parts professionals here? Who is supposed to ask the questions necessary to insure the right part finds its way to the vehicle. Granted, it’s my responsibility to provide that information, but aren’t you supposed to be the one telling me what “that” information is? Is it the vehicle information number? I have it. The RPO Code? I can get it. Production date? I can get that too. The drum diameter? No problem, I have a tape measure…
This is all about distinguishing responsibilities: yours and mine. I have the vehicle, so it stands to reason that I am responsible for providing the right answers. But, those answers are predicated on the right questions, aren’t they? And, when everything falls apart and a customer’s vehicle is delayed because the correct part was not ordered or delivered, how about a little consideration. Not with regard to price - the price was agreed upon when the part was ordered. How about getting that part to me as soon as humanly possible?
These issues are very real for most of us in the service industry and they were even more real for me just a few minutes ago when I was told just how incompetent and inconsiderate we were for failing to provide the right fuel pump in what the customer thought was a reasonable timeframe. To make sure I understood just how frustrated and upset he was with us, our service, our suppliers and the industry in general, he repeated that message once last night and twice this morning!
Did the person behind the counter do everything to make certain the right part was ordered? Sarcastically, I could say “No” because it wasn’t. Did my supplier expedite getting the right part here after realizing the wrong part was sent? You tell me. The part was ordered at 11:30 a.m. and delivered four hours later. We called immediately after realizing it was wrong. The correct part, which was in stock on the shelf at the warehouse, was delivered a few minutes ago almost 24 hours later.
The answer to all these questions is obvious, isn’t it? Working together, we have to find a better way to do this. If we succeed, your operational costs will go down and my customer satisfaction index will go up. You will sell more parts and have fewer returns and I will have more satisfied customers. It’s either that or figure out how my call forwarding works.
