I HAVE in the past been accused of being a little cynical – quite unfairly I feel – but then those claims are only ever levelled at me by tedious optimists. Anyway, I don’t think it’s wrong to not necessarily believe every company which tells me about its exemplary customer service. After all, what are voice mails other than a means by which you never have to speak to a client again? And what are automated switchboards other than a means to save employing a telephonist? None of these electronic wonders actually have anything to do with customer service, despite the fact that many companies who have them like to argue otherwise.
Despite every Tom, Dick and Harry claiming to provide good customer service, I’m firmly of the belief that customer service is not as good today as it was 30 or more years ago. Providing good customer service costs money but clients apparently demand low prices. These are incompatible bed-fellows.

Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but I get the distinct impression that things may be changing. Some contractors having bought cheap in the recent past, and got their fingers burnt, have reverted back to those tried and tested attributes quality and reliability. Price does not seem to be quite as important as it was a few years back, but maybe that’s me being a tedious optimist.

Either way, this month brings news that maybe customer service really is back. Climate Center is to open a select number of branches on a Saturday morning this summer, apparently in response to customer demand. Now a cynic might say that it is just a desperate measure to drum up more business but I am prepared to believe that there is a large enough customer demand to make the enterprise worthwhile.

Automated switchboards can be such a barrier to good customer service, so I have been pleasantly surprised to find more of them being replaced by a living, breathing human. One of our major air conditioning suppliers recently did away with theirs. Even though it hadn’t been in operation very long, a company insider tells me that the adverse customer reaction that resulted from its introduction hurried its early demise.

Here at Faversham Towers we have (so far) resisted the fashion to install one of these automated disasters. If you ‘phone ACR News you will at least get to speak to a real person, although at other times you may have to speak to me!

Neil Everitt

Editor