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• At My Earliest Convenience Voicemail Message A Reflection of Your Customer Service

At My Earliest Convenience Voicemail Message A Reflection of Your Customer Service

written on June 10, 2009 by Jeanne Bluffstone

AT MY EARLIEST CONVENIENCE:  IS THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ?

I called a doctor's assistant yesterday to ask a question and was surprised by her voicemail which said: "I am unavailable.  Please leave a message and I will call you back at my earliest convenience."  Say what?  YOUR earliest convenience?  What does that mean, when you get around to it?  What about me?  This is my earliest convenience and I want to talk with you now, or at the very least, I want to know I will hear from you soon. 

Am I over reacting?  I don't think so.  My earliest convenience says, "I am more important than you," and even if she feels' that way, she shouldn't tell me so.

Now to be fair, I don't think she, nor the doc, who is a great guy and totally responsive, realize how the message reflects on him and the rest of the practice.  He is concerned and calls back very quickly, often at times that I am sure are very inconvenient for him.  His assistant's slip-of-the-tongue-message says she has a lot to learn about customer service.

I don't believe in taking chance when considering customer service, even when it comes to what seem like small things, such as voicemail.  There are too many variables, too many opportunities for misinterpretation, too many chances to make a critical error, so I try constantly to reinforce the relationships that I value so much.   Even when it's inconvenient, even when I am busy, even when I am overwhelmed, on vacation, or ill, the customer is the most important person in my work life and I try to always let all of them know that through words and deeds.

What does your voicemail message say about you?  One of my clients ends her message with, "I will call you back within four hours."  Risky.  What if she gets tied-up?  What if she forgets?  Strange, she never does.  She always honors that four-hour promise and believes me, it's impressive.

My son called me recently with concern in his voice.  He had left a message a few hours earlier and had not heard back from me, so he wanted to make sure I was all right.  "You always return calls quickly and when I didn't hear from you I got worried," he said.   I didn't realize my cell phone needed recharging, and I didn't get his message, but I got the message.   Technology is great, but it has to be working and I'll make sure that doesn't happen again.

Here's my simple philosophy: return calls quickly and don't make promises you can't keep.  My unspoken vow to the people in my life -- famiy, friends, clients -- is to be available and responsive, because that tells them how important they are to me.   I also make sure my words reflect exactly what I am trying to say, and then I let my actions speak even louder.

Interestingly, as I was writing this the doctor called.  He had just received my message and returned my call within a few hours.  I am sure it was not his earliest CONVENIENCE.  It was 6 p.m. and he no doubt was more interested in going home for dinner, but he called me first. 

Yes, words are important, but so are actions, so make both count.