Playing games instead of solving problems

We have satellite TV and recently experienced problems receiving local television channels. After repeated calls to customer service, they finally determined a tech needed to be sent to our house. Even though the issue is in their equipment, they wanted to charge a hundred dollars for the service call. I complained and they immediately cut the price in half. Rather than agree I told them I’d get back to them later. 

Filling my mailbox daily are offers from companies like AT&T U-verse and Charter Communications among others. Each is asking for my business and are giving special pricing. All, actually, are playing a zero-sum game. This is because each company at any time has dissatisfied customers. They know that if their offer hits my mailbox at the precise moment I’m having problems, chances are I’ll call. 

Before getting back to the satellite company I called another provider. During that call it occurred to me that my satellite service would rather lose me as a customer than give a “read deal.” Instead, they save their best for new prospective customers. They are, in fact, playing a zero-sum game of attrition where they have accepted the loss of customers, and rather than provide truly exceptional customer service use marketing to pull in the dissatisfied customers of their competitors. 

While their approach makes no common sense, it is how they have chosen to conduct business. 

As a result, I called my satellite company and told them “no thanks” and that I was taking my business elsewhere. 

Immediately they switched me to their “customer retention” department where I was offered tech service at no charge. 

But I declined telling the representative that I will await a new marketing program from them once the special rate with my new service expires. After all, it is how they themselves have determined they want to “play the game.”

But isn’t it sad that we as consumers have to play such games. Long gone are the days when companies wanted to keep their existing customers satisfied and, as a result, have longterm business relationships. 

It is now all about what we get in terms of a deal rather than the quality of the services we receive. 

Rather than now going into a commercial minute about how good the services are that Principia offers, I challenge you to think about any service you’ve had has been exceptional. No matter if it is the butcher, the baker, or the candlestick maker. Whose service have you experienced lately that was over the top exceptional? And what happened that made it so good?

By Dirk Wierenga, Principia Director of Publishing