My wife and I both had a rather long day today. I took care of our three kids and ran various errands with them, and visited a friend of mine who is in the hospital with a second bout of cancer (this will probably be a separate post of mine soon). At any rate, we wrapped up the day assisting my mother-in-law in the emergency room of the North Austin Medical Center. It is a very involved story, but suffice it to say that she was admitted in order to get a blood transfusion and she will be leaving in the morning.
I went to the ER to pick up our kids because my wife had them with her this evening so that I could do some work. She asked to take them to the large lobby area to "decompress", and perhaps to get some snacks from the vending machines there. I rarely carry much cash, and tonight was no exception. I had exactly one dollar, along with my debit and credit cards. My wife told me that they had a cash machine, which they did. I swiped my card and asked for $20, hoping against hope that the machine (which appears to be only for the snack machines, honestly) would give me some fives rather than just a $20 bill. You already know what happened - I soon had a crisp $20 bill and no way to spend it on snacks for my hungry kiddos.
I went to the desk and there was an ER orderly/nurse/greeter sitting there. He looked friendly enough, and I asked him if they had change for the snack machines. He said no, that they didn't have change. I told him that it seemed a bit pointless to have a cash machine that only dispensed bills that were too large for the machines, then I turned and told my kids that we couldn't get snacks there because we didn't have the right kind of money. We started to walk away (well, my 18-month old was in the stroller happily babbling away). Suddenly, I heard, "SIR! Would you be willing to take twenty ones? I have that and I can go get it for you." It was the guy at the desk taking pity on me and my mini-entourage. He disappeared for a minute or two, then returned with a wad of singles in his hand for me. The exchange was made, and I had three happy kids (and one happy dad, too).
On the way home from the hospital, I stopped to get gas because my "low on gas" indicator light had come on during my trip TO the hospital earlier. I was pumping the gas and it was about halfway finished when I heard a small beeping sound and the gas stopped coming. The LED screen said, "All pumps are now stopped." I couldn't really comprehend what had just happened. Did I press something inadvertently? Did someone else press an emergency stop button? What was going on? I waited for about 30 seconds for it to resume, then I looked around the pump to see an older man locking the front door of the convenience store and taping a small sign on the door. WHAT?!
I looked at my watch, and it was exactly 11:30pm. I didn't bother to go up and knock and get into an argument - what good would it do anyway? Ostensibly, it appeared that they close at 11:30 and not ONE MINUTE LATER, even if you are in the middle of a transaction. This is probably some of the very worst customer service that I have witnessed, and it kind of taints the idea of using that particular station again. Who closes on the half hour anyway?
So, what is your point, Crouch? You had a bad day? Well, not particularly. The issue here is how these people handled service. The ER nurse could have just done nothing to help, but he went out of his way to help me get what I needed right then. The gas station manager/employee created an obstacle for me that was unnecessary. I would have been finished in roughly two minutes, and I wouldn't be blogging right now about his horrendous "service".
Here's the crux of this post - which one of these men do you identify with more strongly? Are you the type of person who anticipates the needs of your clients and friends and takes an extra step to help make things easier and smoother for them? Do you ever sacrifice of yourself for others?
OR...
Are you the type of person who leaves clients confused and then hides at the first hint of a problem? Do you create new obstacles with your communication methods?
As for me, I choose to take the "road less traveled", seemingly. I want to be the guy that goes above and beyond to help others, not the guy who surreptitiously locks the door and puts up a sign.
Stand out in the crowd - do the right thing! Always remember - real estate is a SERVICE business.
Copyright 2007 Austin Real Estate Jason Crouch All rights reserved
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WOW, Jason. What a day, huh?
A) I hope your mom-in-law gets to feeling better after the transfusion.
B) Kudos to the ER guy who stepped up to the plate to help you out.
C) As far as the gas station guy. What an a-hole. Sorry but that's how I feel about that one!
I'd like to think of myself as the person that has change of $20 when someone needs it!
Hugs to you and yours.
This happens to many of us at times and you ask which path to take. The easy one
Jason, in defense of the gas station attendant, the pumps are probably on an auto-program and he could do nothing about it. They are programmed by owners & managers, and not the attendant. Perhaps a quick note to the owners to ask them to adjust their program to let someone finish a transaction would be in order.
Kudos to the nurse at the ER. What a nice guy!
I hope your mother-in-law is released today feeling much better.
Jason, I hope and pray that your mother-in-law is doing okay. Extra service above and beyond is always appreciated. I'd much rather be the nurse than the gas station guy.
One of the things that I always notice in the grocery store are the employees who not only tell you where some item is, but drop what they are doing and lead you there. That's above and beyond customer service.
Jason,
I hope your mother-in-law is doing well. I know it's been a struggle for you lately.
The nurse/orderly did a great thing there. He probably didn't see much sense in the vending machine/atm setup either. I'm glad he had the twenty one dollar bills for you. Who has twenty one dollar bills on their person these days?
When I first read about the gas station attendant, I was thinking that this was a real jerk for doing something like that. Then I read Kris' comment. Now, that would change things altogether, wouldn't it? It's always good to look at everything with our eyes open so we don't miss the whole picture. It's easy to look at that situation, blaming that attendant for the problem, when he could very well be just as frustrated with the situation as we are. I'm curious to know the whole story there.
This was a great customer service post. You're really in the groove lately for this type of post and I can see that taking care of your clients takes a high priority with your business. Way to go, Crouch!! Keep it up!!
Jason, Unfortunately bad service is becoming the norm in many cases, not the exception. Why is that?
Those that provide great services and desire to meet their clients needs will always stand out head and shoulders above the rest. That greeter understood something very important (other than your kids were hungry) - he was the front line of that hospital that many don't and his job was very much about first impressions - not about him, but impressions of the whole hospital. The gas attendant may not have been the owner - but what he did left you with an impression of the whole gas station, not just that worker.
I sacrifice and sacrifice some more. And it doesn't feel like sacrifice if I'm making the world a little sweeter for someone. How anyone could see it differently is an endless source of amazement to me. (and clearly for you too Loveseat!)
So glad the kids got treats!!
Jason...I am not sure this is exactly the meaning of the "road less traveled" but you did make your point :) :) You asked which would I pick....well, I am not sure.....sometimes things happen in a moment of time.....and my judegement, if I were to make one, would have to be for that moment.
I was surprised at the gas guy....but then again maybe he had a mother-in-law in the hospital, and just wanted out of there. Have you every had anthing happen and it took every bit of your strength to finish your day, your shift? It was extrememly inconvient to you, but how do we know why he did what he did?
And the ER guy.....do you have any clue how many people probably ask for change :) :) Now, let's take away the cute kids, and put a scraggly guy in your place....would that clerk really go out of his way to go get change?
I wouldn't pick.......I would wonder though, and I would experience the different scenerios as a part of life :) :)
KRIS - As I mentioned to Nancy, the guy who locked the door was one of about three or four people inside the store. Maybe they were going to do an inventory? At any rate, while I can certainly understand if they are programmed to turn off automatically, it wouldn't be difficult for one of the people working there to make a brief announcement over the intercom system to let the customer know what just happened, or that it is about to happen. The other part which bothered me was the fact that he pre-emptively put up a sign and immediately locked up, so that they could avoid having any customer contact.
Kudos indeed to the ER guy, and we are hoping for a much better day today, although it will be filled with several more medical appointments.
Jason your days are getting worse and worse based on your Blogs. I hope your Mother in law gets better. On top of the medical condition, and the kids, and the jobs, you guys need to take a little time for yourselves, as hard as it may be. I hope you guys don't forget to take care of your needs. You can't help anybody if you are sick!
All the best to you and your family. I hope to read a positive outcome in the near future!! You are in our prayers.
ANDREW - Thanks for your great comments. I am always one to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but it wasn't just the fact that the pumps shut off. There were three or four employees inside the store - how hard would it have been for one of them to make a quick announcement, such as:
"We're about to close. The pumps are programmed to turn off soon." OR after the fact,
"The pumps are programmed to turn off automatically when we close."
They could even play a prerecorded message, or put up a sign on the pump (very passive, but it would get the point across).
The fact that he was locking the door so quickly just left a bad taste, since there was no communication at all.
I actually meant to include in the post that I asked the ER guy if he waited tables, since I used to run a restaurant and the waitstaff always had tons of ones on them. He said that his dad gave him a bunch of ones, and then I joked with him by asking if his dad was was a waiter! Either way, he was helpful when I needed it, so it was much appreciated.
Thanks for your kind remarks about my recent posts. It means a lot. I may try to call you today sometime.
ADAM - Thanks for your remarks. I felt the same way that you did (head shaking in disbelief). As for your upcoming blog on this topic, I guess every cloud has a silver lining. I can't wait to see it. SPHTTBTL
KATHY - I won't debate the meaning of "road less traveled" here, but suffice it to say that I meant the unconventional or uninvestigated option. As I mentioned above in another comment, I feel that service is a lost art. I am glad you liked the overall point of the post.
As for the gas guy, he was not alone at the store (there were two or three other employees there). This probably changes the impression for you a bit, or at least it did for me. As I mentioned to Andrew above, it would not be difficult at all for one of them to make a very brief announcement, either before, during, or just after the time that the pumps turned off. With the extenuating factors in mind, I can't excuse this behavior. I hope that he is not in the same boat that I am currently in, but it doesn't change the fact that it was wrong. I am not angry about it, but I probably won't return, either.
I have no idea how many people ask for change in that ER, but it is probably a LOT, considering the setup that they have in place currently. You're right - if I were a homeless vagabond without cute kids in tow, it might have been a different outcome.
I was not trying to imply that the first guy was always right, or that the gas guy was a terrible person, but rather to point out their actions and try to draw a comparison and to discuss the impression they left on me.
As for choosing not to choose, that is certainly up to you, but I don't think everything is relative. I think that there are some objective truths in this life, regardless of our immediate surroundings at any given moment.
CHAD - Thanks for your incredibly kind comments. We are trying to do the best that we can to take care of ourselves, but it is a bit overwhelming lately. My mother-in-law is starting on an antidepressent today and a new, improved pain medication tomorrow. We were blessed to have found a doctor yesterday who has taken a sincere interest in her, and who seems to be a great problem solver. Maybe we can turn the corner with her soon. I really appreciate your prayers! Have a terrific day!
Great Post Jason - I pray for all Nurses to be campassionate and serve :)
as for Grandma- have doctors considered overnite exchanges with peritoneal dialysis if she could be evaluated she would not lose as much blood as hemodialysis and with some erythropoetin injections (which she should be getting for sure anyway if on dialysis, blood transfusions and exhausing trips to the ER like the one you described would be scarcer hopefully.
take care
Sincerely,
Grace
We all have bad days. I don't follow the logic of allowing for poor customer service due to a "bad day" however. Some folks would seem eager to give the gas station guy a pass because he might have had a bad day. Well, my clients don't give me a pass, nor would I expect it of them. It is easy to go the extra mile on those days when you have some bounce in your step. True character reveals itself through adversity. How does a person behave when things are not so rosy? So while gas station guy may have had excuses for such poor customer service, his inability to rise above it and provide quality service does not speak well of his character. Very good post, Jason.
Hi, Jason,
I was just having this conversation today with a restaurant owner about how much I HATE bad service. It's just that we work so hard to offer exceptional customer service! And when we are the recipients of poor service, we realize how unfortunate and unnecessary it is. The restaurant owner basically told me that I'd better be nice to waiters/servers (note the title "server"... a service provider??)... or else they will spit in my food. She warned me that it happens all the time.
Well............... home cooking certainly is sounding like a concept that I need to revive in my life! I really am tired of bad service and now I have to worry about what might be mixed into my food!
Anyway, great blog post! Thanks for standing tall on that road less travelled!
KAREN ANNE - I recognize that it could have been an automatic timer, but there were several employees there inside the store, and one of them could have made a brief announcement before, during, or after the pumps going off. Also, it seemed extra inconsiderate to quickly lock the doors and post a sign, rather than taking a second to explain to their paying customers what was going on. Just my opinion, but it felt wrong to me. As Patricia stated above, it reminded me of a real estate agent locking the door of an open house promptly at 4pm when there are buyers walking up the sidewalk to take a look.
Jason, this one got no new comments. What a shame. Service is a dying art, but so is good sense and manners.
Bill Roberts
Jason:
It is difficult to analyze yourself. I hope that I am the one who anticipates needs and helps. I probably struggle most when I am focused on myself. This was another great post for deep thinking.