Another year comes to an end and what a helluva year it’s been; from the Arab Spring and the Queensland floods and cyclone to the death of the North Korean leader there has rarely been a week that hasn’t given us some dramatic news. And just so we don’t get complacent Melbourne has an amazing thunderstorm on Christmas day to keep us alert. 2011 will definitely go down as defining ‘tumultuous’.
It’s not certain amongst all the tumult that humanity has advanced much though; our first response to conflict is military, we celebrate the death of someone we have decided is one of the baddies throwing out rules of decency let alone human rights, we can’t agree on how to ensure the environment is clean and healthy for future generations- well we can’t even agree on whether there is anything awry with the climate.
I hope in 2012 we can find a sense of decency and open heartedness again. I look forward to conflict being a matter of disagreement and something to talk our way through rather than a reason for killing or reverting to our most primal instincts. A review of our priorities in life both as a person and as a world happens. In the second decade of the second millennium it is time for us to get a grip and show that we are actually evolving as human beings. Too often we seem to be slaves to technology rather than masters of it, victims of a culture that says ‘time is money and more time is even better’ where the business of busy-ness rules and we are developing into a slave society working from home, blurring the lines ever more between work and home, work and leisure, work and family, work and more work. What I find most offensive is taking life for granted, it’s too precious a thing to put it aside while we ‘grow our career’, put in the hard yards now to enjoy the benefits later. Sadly, for some there isn’t a ‘later’ – it’s not guaranteed. The old adage that on your death bed you will ask ‘just one more meeting’ is sadder rather than funny. The cursed addictions to our Blackberry (Crackberry), iPhone, Smartphone, Facebook or Twitter might be improving accessibility and might be seen as increasing convenience but what are we giving away in the process?
Whatever your hopes and thoughts are as we come to the end of this year I hope they come your way. Enjoy the festive season, be with the ones you love or love the time itself if you’re on your own.
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings and keep up the conversation – I really believe it’s the way for us to be the community we want to be.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Are You Being Served?
At this time of year the frustrations of being caught up in the crowds at shopping strips can take the shine of the ‘Christmas Spirit’ somewhat can’t it? Similarly the quality of customer service can impact too, although I have to say most shop staff remain remarkably cheery and courteous despite the crowds and the occasional grump (ahem).
It’s really very interesting to reflect on how customer service has not only changed but how it varies in different countries.
I always notice the difference between customer service in Australia and in the UK. I think people in stores in the UK are generally very polite and open, especially in large department stores. It’s also more likely over there for someone to ask you if you require assistance rather than let you wander around trying to find something. Where it all falls down though is in the follow through if they can’t assist. You might pop into an electrical shop and be greeted warmly, the question you have is ‘do you sell Siffelax Quadruple fusing for an LM3O mark 2’? The reply will simply be “Sorry sir we don’t stock them”. All fine in its own way but the difference is that in Australia you are more likely to get this response “Sorry sir we don’t stock them. We used to but they weren’t selling so we’ve stopped stocking them. You might try Dick Smith or somewhere like that.” Problem, reason and solution - customer service 1.0.1.
This came to the fore again recently with an exchange I had with a UK company. On a trip to the UK in 2008 I’d purchased a wheel along case to replace one that EasyJet had destroyed. It was a very agreeable purchase; the case was perfect and beautiful to manoeuvre. Unfortunately on a subsequent trip one of the wheels didn’t cope with the demands of being wheeled through the snowy streets of Copenhagen and started to fall apart.
Loving the case as much as I did I thought I’d like to get the wheel fixed rather than a new case. Logically (I thought), I’d contact the store I purchased the case from (the brand was sold ‘exclusively’ through them) and ask if there was a contact outside the UK for repairs.
A reply came back very promptly to say they couldn’t help and I should go direct to the manufacturer as the store didn’t cover the guarantee etc. I followed the suggestion almost immediately.
A guarantee came with the case which covered the case for five years and was most effusive about the quality of the product and why they were so certain that a consumer probably would never need to call on the guarantee etc etc.
So my intention in contacting them was to see who that had an arrangement with in Australia for repairs and then to have the repair done as part of the guarantee. I wasn’t focussed at all on costs rather in letting them know the product had let me down by being damaged after such little use and finding a remedy. I thought perhaps they would have wanted to be advised of the damage so they could review the materials being used so that the product could live up to their pride in them.
My first email was replied to within a few days, all very polite BUT saying the guarantee had no validity outside the UK, if I wanted it fixed I’d need to get a UK resident to return it to them or the store where it was purchased and then they would consider a refund. Even though I felt my claim was dismissed they asked me to send a photo and they’d determine if it was eligible for a refund.
My basic question about them having an arrangement with a company in Australia for repairs was ignored and they went straight to the guarantee issue and focussed their solution around that. I replied basically saying that and asking again for any suggestions around an agent in Australia and that I was concerned they didn’t appear to stand behind their product. I also cheekily remarked that if I needed a UK resident to take the case back for me maybe they could be that resident. While the remark was tongue in cheek I was gently nudging them that maybe for goodwill they could say ‘hey send it back to us and we’ll work something out’. Unfortunately the reply was even more definitive in their dismissal, sorry you’re disappointed, you’re probably going to stay disappointed because we’re unable to do anything for you.
I really do think in Oz a business might have come up with some ideas about what to do so that the product would be useable again. It might have been a list of names of repairers, it might have been something like ‘look we don’t have an arrangement with anyone there but see if you can get it fixed and send us the receipt and we’ll consider a refund’, they might have even given the specifications for the wheel so I could just ask a repairer or another luggage firm if they stocked them and could replace them.
I do ponder on why helpfulness or goodwill isn’t a natural instinct in retail, no matter the circumstances let alone the location. Maybe I just expect too much...
It’s really very interesting to reflect on how customer service has not only changed but how it varies in different countries.
I always notice the difference between customer service in Australia and in the UK. I think people in stores in the UK are generally very polite and open, especially in large department stores. It’s also more likely over there for someone to ask you if you require assistance rather than let you wander around trying to find something. Where it all falls down though is in the follow through if they can’t assist. You might pop into an electrical shop and be greeted warmly, the question you have is ‘do you sell Siffelax Quadruple fusing for an LM3O mark 2’? The reply will simply be “Sorry sir we don’t stock them”. All fine in its own way but the difference is that in Australia you are more likely to get this response “Sorry sir we don’t stock them. We used to but they weren’t selling so we’ve stopped stocking them. You might try Dick Smith or somewhere like that.” Problem, reason and solution - customer service 1.0.1.
This came to the fore again recently with an exchange I had with a UK company. On a trip to the UK in 2008 I’d purchased a wheel along case to replace one that EasyJet had destroyed. It was a very agreeable purchase; the case was perfect and beautiful to manoeuvre. Unfortunately on a subsequent trip one of the wheels didn’t cope with the demands of being wheeled through the snowy streets of Copenhagen and started to fall apart.
Loving the case as much as I did I thought I’d like to get the wheel fixed rather than a new case. Logically (I thought), I’d contact the store I purchased the case from (the brand was sold ‘exclusively’ through them) and ask if there was a contact outside the UK for repairs.
A reply came back very promptly to say they couldn’t help and I should go direct to the manufacturer as the store didn’t cover the guarantee etc. I followed the suggestion almost immediately.
A guarantee came with the case which covered the case for five years and was most effusive about the quality of the product and why they were so certain that a consumer probably would never need to call on the guarantee etc etc.
So my intention in contacting them was to see who that had an arrangement with in Australia for repairs and then to have the repair done as part of the guarantee. I wasn’t focussed at all on costs rather in letting them know the product had let me down by being damaged after such little use and finding a remedy. I thought perhaps they would have wanted to be advised of the damage so they could review the materials being used so that the product could live up to their pride in them.
My first email was replied to within a few days, all very polite BUT saying the guarantee had no validity outside the UK, if I wanted it fixed I’d need to get a UK resident to return it to them or the store where it was purchased and then they would consider a refund. Even though I felt my claim was dismissed they asked me to send a photo and they’d determine if it was eligible for a refund.
My basic question about them having an arrangement with a company in Australia for repairs was ignored and they went straight to the guarantee issue and focussed their solution around that. I replied basically saying that and asking again for any suggestions around an agent in Australia and that I was concerned they didn’t appear to stand behind their product. I also cheekily remarked that if I needed a UK resident to take the case back for me maybe they could be that resident. While the remark was tongue in cheek I was gently nudging them that maybe for goodwill they could say ‘hey send it back to us and we’ll work something out’. Unfortunately the reply was even more definitive in their dismissal, sorry you’re disappointed, you’re probably going to stay disappointed because we’re unable to do anything for you.
I really do think in Oz a business might have come up with some ideas about what to do so that the product would be useable again. It might have been a list of names of repairers, it might have been something like ‘look we don’t have an arrangement with anyone there but see if you can get it fixed and send us the receipt and we’ll consider a refund’, they might have even given the specifications for the wheel so I could just ask a repairer or another luggage firm if they stocked them and could replace them.
I do ponder on why helpfulness or goodwill isn’t a natural instinct in retail, no matter the circumstances let alone the location. Maybe I just expect too much...
Sunday, December 4, 2011
If it's All the Same...Then Make it the Same
Two weeks ago if you’d asked me I would have told you I was opposed to same sex marriage. I was of the group that believed marriage to be a traditionally heterosexual construct and really let’s leave it thus. I certainly wasn’t prepared to stretch that opposition to justify any inequality in rights relating to same sex couples such as in access to government services or superannuation. However, I wouldn’t have marched in the streets to stop legislation approving same sex marriage but I wasn’t inclined to sign petitions or get excited to support the cause.
Today I now support not only the right of anyone who is in a loving and legal relationship to marry should both choose to but the responsibility of it to be enshrined in legislation.
The reason for my change of opinion is simple – it makes sense whereas the contrary view does not. Traditionally marriage is for men and women but it would be wouldn’t it? If they are the only ones who have been allowed to marry, how could it be otherwise? Besides that marriage as we know it in 2011bears little resemblance to marriage as it was practiced in earlier times. It is true that marriage was really a contract between parties to protect property and title, often the woman was part of that property. When you think of that ghastly term of the father 'giving the bride away' it starts to get a bit sick making.The notion of ‘romance’ belongs to more modern days so let’s not kid ourselves that ‘tradition’ is something always worth following. History is always worth observing but seldom worth repeating and tradition is similarly not a mandate for never changing, especially when it simply makes sense to change. Sometimes the time comes for change and I am of the belief that we are now in that time for this change. I am further of the opinion that decency dictates it.
A month or two back Raimond Gaita on Q and A commented about why he thought people might feel uncomfortable about the idea of gays getting married. It can be a question of disgust for what some perceive a homosexual relationship entails, it can be a rather uninformed or convenient interpretation of isolated sections of the bible or it can occasionally be going along with the mob view. What Rai Gaita said was that whilst there is any inequality for gays in any aspect of society or law there is a corresponding lack of respect or recognition of dignity of their sexuality (‘that is being denied to them’).He went on ‘…given how fundamental sexuality is to our sense of what it is to be human, it is not an exaggeration to say, I think, that it's a denial of their full humanity.’ That argument started to resonate with me and together with my change of view based on the tradition of heterosexual primacy in marriage led to my change of stance.
Let’s face it men will be marrying men and women will be marrying women in the next few years so why don’t we get on with it. Maybe then we can work out how to stop poverty, educate everyone, eliminate waiting lists in hospitals and make sure everyone has a job and a roof over their heads!
Mind you with nearly half of our marriages disintegrated within 20 years and many people being blinded by the pizazz of the wedding rather than committed to the vows they exchange, I wonder why anyone would want to join that odd club of the ‘committed’. But then again sometimes we just want to not only be able to do something but also to have the opportunity to say ‘no’.
I don't expect nor would I impose any sanctions on a religion or clergy member who felt they could not carry out a marriage or solemnize a wedding for same sex couples. That is a matter of faith, belief and frankly their job and I don't think anyone else ought to be getting overly excited about bringing about change there, it's really not worth the battle. For me that might very well be the only forum where a so called conscience vote or question belongs!
Good luck and God bless anyone who find love and finds someone to love enough to want to spend the rest of their lives with. If anyone gets their knickers in a knot well I say get over it, nothing will be lost by the change in the law and no one’s rights will be diminished either. The worst that can happen is that some people who have been made to feel ‘less’ simply because God decided they would love their own sex, will now feel less excluded.
Not a bad thing in a caring, compassionate society that prides itself on being mature and passionate about equality surely?
Today I now support not only the right of anyone who is in a loving and legal relationship to marry should both choose to but the responsibility of it to be enshrined in legislation.
The reason for my change of opinion is simple – it makes sense whereas the contrary view does not. Traditionally marriage is for men and women but it would be wouldn’t it? If they are the only ones who have been allowed to marry, how could it be otherwise? Besides that marriage as we know it in 2011bears little resemblance to marriage as it was practiced in earlier times. It is true that marriage was really a contract between parties to protect property and title, often the woman was part of that property. When you think of that ghastly term of the father 'giving the bride away' it starts to get a bit sick making.The notion of ‘romance’ belongs to more modern days so let’s not kid ourselves that ‘tradition’ is something always worth following. History is always worth observing but seldom worth repeating and tradition is similarly not a mandate for never changing, especially when it simply makes sense to change. Sometimes the time comes for change and I am of the belief that we are now in that time for this change. I am further of the opinion that decency dictates it.
A month or two back Raimond Gaita on Q and A commented about why he thought people might feel uncomfortable about the idea of gays getting married. It can be a question of disgust for what some perceive a homosexual relationship entails, it can be a rather uninformed or convenient interpretation of isolated sections of the bible or it can occasionally be going along with the mob view. What Rai Gaita said was that whilst there is any inequality for gays in any aspect of society or law there is a corresponding lack of respect or recognition of dignity of their sexuality (‘that is being denied to them’).He went on ‘…given how fundamental sexuality is to our sense of what it is to be human, it is not an exaggeration to say, I think, that it's a denial of their full humanity.’ That argument started to resonate with me and together with my change of view based on the tradition of heterosexual primacy in marriage led to my change of stance.
Let’s face it men will be marrying men and women will be marrying women in the next few years so why don’t we get on with it. Maybe then we can work out how to stop poverty, educate everyone, eliminate waiting lists in hospitals and make sure everyone has a job and a roof over their heads!
Mind you with nearly half of our marriages disintegrated within 20 years and many people being blinded by the pizazz of the wedding rather than committed to the vows they exchange, I wonder why anyone would want to join that odd club of the ‘committed’. But then again sometimes we just want to not only be able to do something but also to have the opportunity to say ‘no’.
I don't expect nor would I impose any sanctions on a religion or clergy member who felt they could not carry out a marriage or solemnize a wedding for same sex couples. That is a matter of faith, belief and frankly their job and I don't think anyone else ought to be getting overly excited about bringing about change there, it's really not worth the battle. For me that might very well be the only forum where a so called conscience vote or question belongs!
Good luck and God bless anyone who find love and finds someone to love enough to want to spend the rest of their lives with. If anyone gets their knickers in a knot well I say get over it, nothing will be lost by the change in the law and no one’s rights will be diminished either. The worst that can happen is that some people who have been made to feel ‘less’ simply because God decided they would love their own sex, will now feel less excluded.
Not a bad thing in a caring, compassionate society that prides itself on being mature and passionate about equality surely?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)