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!