Category: General

Okay, normally I blog about Customer Service. Not today. I’ll keep my fetish for Customer Service restrained –
Have you ever thought about why telephone headsets are becoming so popular?
Yes, I admit it. I am biased. I really, honestly, do think that they are great.
Okay, here’s how it goes.
I get up in the morning. No, even before that. The phone rings and I grab the wireless headset that I have beside my bed. I don’t have to get out of bed, I don’t even have to lift the receiver off the hook, just slip on my headset and push the silver button on it’s side. Miraculously the receiver lifts itself up and I can lay back in my bed and chat.
Then, if it’s a long chat, and yesterday’s was, I get up, headset still firmly in place, walk around, start breakfast, pour my cereal, kiss my wife and keep on chatting – business is business! Normally I’d have my shower first, however I am still waiting for Plantronics to perfect a completely waterproof headset.
Breakfast is a breeze as I walk, talk, chop and stir with my headset’s noise reducing microphone eliminating the background clatter. I grab a coffee – that’s where you have to be careful. The opportunity is clearly there, for you to “dunk” your headset microphone into your coffee mug with your first sip, if you’re not paying attention.
The call finishes and I quickly jump into the shower. I’m out of the shower, towelling off, and there’s another call. I check my watch – nearly time to leave for the office. I don’t say “leave for work” because the content of the previous call, and probably this one, means that I’m already working. Headset on again and I’m continuing the call as I dress. The great thing about this headset, it’s on my cell phone and I can walk right out of the door into my car and head off down the road.
Another call while I’m driving and it’s handsfree all the way. I do watch my concentration while driving, because while the headset leaves your hands on the wheel, people still do strange things and even I need to concentrate.
I park, walk to the elevator, up to the 4th floor and meet the person that I’m talking to. Finishing off the conversation by shaking his hand – I’m still on the headset so I’m handsfree! The temptation is to keep our conversation going because I love my headset so much, and he’s on one too. However, he’s my Customer and I love great Customer Service. And, of course, it’s hard to beat face-to-face Customer Service. Plus people are nice to talk to in person too!

This week we’ve been interviewing prospective new employees for Customer Service positions at Headsets.com. Now, to get a job with Headsets.com you don’t need to know a lot about headsets, at least to start with – we’ll train you. You do, however, need to know a lot about Excellent Customer Service.
I’ve been intrigued what people think Excellent Customer Service is. Have you ever thought about it? I do, a lot!
I’ve asked a few people around me what they think Excellent Customer Service is –

• a friend who works for a well known animation company -”Excellent Customer Service is when I get served excellently” – I’m sure that we can do better than that !!!
• a neighbor – “Satisfying my needs as a Customer”
• the guy at my gas station – “What no one other than I does!”
• a waitress at our favorite restaurant – “What gets me a good tip”
• our favorite waitress at a local restaurant – “Keeping my Customers happy”
  So, nothing really definitive.

In fact, a little disappointing to me. I set my Customer Service Goals higher than that.
When people work with us at Headsets.com we expect them to go a lot further than those definitions. Yes, they need to know about wireless headsets, corded headsets, cell phone headsets and the like. They also need to know about people – what they want, how they think and what they like. We believe in a lot more than just satisfying our Customer’s needs.
So, here’s the challenge –
Over the next few weeks I’m going to be on the lookout for Customer Service Excellence and if any of you out there, in cyber-blog-world, find some I really want you to tell me. Especially if you encounter Customer Service Excellence associated with telephone headsets – oops, I forgot, Headsets.com have that covered.
Jokes aside, let’s see what sort of service we have out there and let’s track down some really great Customer Service experiences
Until next week – Happy Hunting

My Customer Service Challenge is progressing – I’m still hunting for Excellence in Customer Service and it pops up in the most unusual places.
Today I’m sitting on a train, admittedly looking a little the worse for wear thanks to a head cold. I’m fighting off the dripping nose and ticklish throat to go and view some new telephone headsets – there’s some really interesting telephone headsets around and even half-dying I’ll check them out when I have a chance!
So, I’m sitting on a train, trying to stifle my cough. Around me are half a dozen people who aren’t, ie they’re straight out hacking their heads off, graciously spreading whatever they have. Still that’s the nature of a peak hour train.
There’s even someone talking on their cell phone’s blue-tooth headset and coughing away – my thoughts go out to the person on the other end getting a blast in their ear.
My muffled, hand covered, cough is hardly audible amongst the crowd. Then from nowhere a small hand reaches across, nothing said, simply an offer of a lozenge. No fuss, no bother just a simple gesture of kindness – that’s Customer Service Excellence I thought.
What do you think?