From "Ugh" to "Uh-mazing": Transforming Your Customer Service Experience series

Let's Talk Customer Service: We've all been there - a product or service that just doesn't deliver. In this series, I'm sharing my real-life experiences navigating customer service.

Have you ever wondered how far a company would go to keep you happy? Let me tell you, companies these days are willing to go the extra mile to turn a frown upside down. Why? Because  brand reputation matters, big time!

Remember some CEOs take customer calls just to know more the ground reality. Think about it. Companies, big or small, from Google to Zomato, from government agencies to the hottest startups, all want the same thing: your loyalty. They want you to sing their praises to your friends and family, to recommend them online, and basically become their biggest fan. Why? Because  customers are king! You're the reason they exist and thrive.

But what happens when a company lets you down? When their service stinks or their product falls flat? Do you just take your business elsewhere? Sure, you can. But here's the thing: Losing a customer like you  costs them money. It's way more expensive to acquire new customers than to keep happy ones. Not only could they lose your future business, but a bad experience might also tarnish their reputation and drive away others.

So, before you jump ship, there's an approach you can take to connect with the company and see if they can win you back. In this series of blog posts, I'll share  the exact steps you can take to address bad customer service or a disappointing product. After all, a happy customer is a loyal customer, and that's something every company  desperately wants.

Stay tuned for the next post, where we'll dive into the best way to  approach a company representative and advocate for yourself!

From Blank Stares to Solved Snare: How I Recovered My Lost Phone in Germany (Despite the Language Gap!)

I would like to narrate a very interesting incident that took place while I was travelling to KIT, campus where I have worked. This incident is one of the greatest eyeopeners to my strengths!

While I was travelling at around 6.30 am to my workplace at Karlsruhe via train, I accidentally forgot my mobile in the running train. I realized this when I got down from the train, to connect to the next trailing bus. At the bus stop, I was shocked to see that, I couldn’t find my phone anywhere. I started to look for some train station authorities or workmen around. But I could not find a single person around. I let the bus go and decided to find my mobile. 

Suddenly, I saw two cleaning workmen near the bus station. I tried to talk to them, but none of them could understand English! I tried to talk to them in German, which was the most difficult task. It was very difficult to explain the complete scenario in German. But I did not give up. The person then gave me a contact number of the station at which the train stopped the last i.e. Darmstadt and he tried to call the train station too. They said, I should go and visit the station and try to contact them, and file a complaint.

It then struck to my mind, that I should visit a police station and seek for help. I searched for the nearby police station (with the help of another German man). I again put great amount of effort in explaining the policeman. He called for another authority, who could understand little English! He then contacted the Darmstadt station and informed me that you should write a lost complaint request via web to the system online. But he could not guarantee that the phone will be found. 

I was optimistic even in such a chaotic and tense situation. I then reached to my workplace and talked to my manager. We had very good rapport and thus, he helped me via his subordinates to file a complaint. He also allowed me to go back to Darmstadt station (which was 2 hours away) to try and find my phone. 

Under such a severe situation, when all my stakes were on hold, I finally found my phone at the station!  

 How did I find it?

When I was with the police man, he called the driver of the train to inform about the situation. The driver apparently made an announcement in the train and asked any passenger who finds the phone to return to the driver. Thus, a boy found my phone in the train and returned to the driver and the driver in turn submitted my phone to the station and I finally succeeded in getting my phone back. My sister helped me a lot to get the phone back in this situation. I knew that I would definitely get my phone back even in this difficult circumstances. So, when I was a telephone booth at the railway station, finally talking to my sister about the phone discovery, I again cried my eyes out with happiness! Because of the feeling of achievement, positive attitude and inner strength.

The above event of chaos proved that I am determined, optimistic person and very confident on the things that I want to achieve. As a Taurean, I believe,  I would give my full potential and will power, if I just decide to achieve anything. :)

I was feeling confident each and every day when I left for my office! Truly, those were the best days of my life. I always remember those days, when I am in sorrow.  

I am so independent since that time.
First of all, I traveled all myself from Nagpur-Mumbai-Frankfurt in the special Air India flight, I remember it well because, it gave me a very pleasant experience! Secondly, I managed everything in Germany, say it, travelling, searching for food and grocery, navigating, researching, etc all by myself and Lastly I returned back safely, with no damages caused to me or my belongings from Frankfurt-Mumbai-Nagpur!

Early twenties dream of living in Germany has high significance today ! :)

In the fond memory of my visit to Germany as a student..( The thought to continue this blog came when in my Post graduate program in management, many exchange students from various countries had come at IIM Indore! :) I had started this blog in 2012, but somehow did not continue. Now, some moments very special are inspiring me to complete it. :) )

A golden opportunity...

Another chance to visit Germany was not just a trip , but the greatest opportunity to learn, explore and shine. My purpose of the visit was as a student research assistant at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology! The greatest inspiration was my family members.. A big thanks to VNIT to give me the opportunity and the chance to visit Germany to be the part of one of the most reputed research institutes in Germany. I felt very privileged to work in Germany under the guidance of highly skilled scientists under a research project.

The first day at Germany was at Frankfurt. Just after my flight, my sister and her husband took me around the city. Frankfurt is a city of huge, talk sky scrappers. The city environment is just awesome! Time was around 9.30 p.m and still there was little sun light. The city is very fascinating with restaurants and shops in all the lanes. The squares were full of people. People were hanging out in the restaurants. That area had restaurants from all around the world. There were Chinese, Japanese, Leibniz and many Indian restaurants. There were cheerful people all around. We visited the place of European Central Bank where I could spot the Euro sign of Germany. That was real fun. There were policemen at that place. We thought there was some celebrity coming at that place. But the policemen said that there was some program in which they needed security. ;)

Thus, my 6 weeks journey started. I had to start from the scratch. A new country, a new place, new language, new rules, new culture! My sister guided me well in advance in how to go about and start my routine in Germany. I had to every day travel to KIT-Campus Nord Südtor, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Karlsruhe, which was around 2 hours from Heidelberg, the city where I stayed with my sister. So, I had to plan accordingly. My sister told me about all the plans to travel there. I, remember, the way which was the easiest took me with S-Bahn (in German, bahn means train) named S3 and bus 195. ;) I distinctly remember these numbers as I used to travel daily. ;) I had to travel taking 3 stops. First stop was Bruchsal, second was Neodorf, third Blankenloch and then I used to reach the North Campus. (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/dn?ld=150106&seqnr=2&ident=f6.0805106.1441838187&rt=1&OK#focus) . All the travel/transit route details are given on Bahn.de website. 

Such was my travel journey routinely to KIT to reach the beautiful campus. The campus was a very huge. There were trees all around with well planned roads and direction to every place. The buildings were given a unique number for easy search. On my first day, I was given a map, in which all the buildings were placed with numbers. Thus, it became easy for me to navigate around the campus. I was given a unique KIT student research id too for accessing the services and for security and entry purposes. I felt very special! An Indian student of the age of 20 was given such high priority in German University. 

My Institute of Applied Materials, Energy Storage Systems (IAM-ESS),  was extremely magnificent! It had all the facilities any one could ever imagined! Germany is known for its machines and latest technologies and I was around them and learn about them! I felt so privileged! I worked on STOE STADP XRD powder Diffractometer-used to get XRD patterns for metals and materials of varied elements.

Such was a typical day in the campus. 

I met some wonderful people at KIT, Larissa my office room partner! She was a very dear friend of mine! Then, there was my guide, Michael, so much experienced and supportive in everything! We started with a handshake and thus I was introduced to each and every employee in the department. I had to give a small introduction in front of all in a small conference which was held on the same day I came. Michael helped me throughout. He used to sit with me in front of my computer and explain me the complete process of analysis.  I acknowledged his time and valued his teachings and made a comprehensive report out of it. I was successful in completing my work in time and thus present my report. Michael liked the work that I did, and appreciated me in writing in my certificate of excellence! I still remember the three words that he used to describe my capabilities. A proud moment for my family, to see getting appreciated by a German!

I also used to talk to some of the Germans passing by in the train too! Thus, I honed my networking skills and I improved my German as well!

I visited SAP, my sister's company for an event that was held there. The premises of SAP, Waldorf is so big that it accommodates everything, that is needed. I felt, it is indeed a great place to work for.

The event was of putting up inter-cultural stalls by SAP's employees from different countries, like India, China, Turkey, Arab, Greece,Italy etc., to show the different cultures to the world. The event was amazing and it felt just like home. 

Along with the fun and the experiences felt, the last days of my internship were coming. The biggest achievement uptil then was that in the 6 weeks, I got my first salary check and it came to me via post to my personal desk! I still remember to read my first salary in euros! That was something really great. I was so proud of myself at that point in time that I almost cried when I collected my first salary from Deutsche Bank! :) (A company which now comes to recruit PGDM's at IIM I ;))

I distinctly remember, I went to the basic necessities shop in my campus and bought a chocolate ice cream cornetto from my first salary. I also bought a KIT cap from the gift shop as a souvenir! 

That was the best feelings of all time! I could then at that point, could see my future succeeding from this moment. I was able to carve my future exactly as I want after this exposure of mine! I was confident enough to climb the ladder of success post this milestone time period of my life!

-Divya Sakundarwar

Berlin

11.02.2024