James's broadband nightmare

I have been amused to listen to my brother James (who sits next door to me), spend the last few weeks speaking to an unnamed broadband provider's call centre trying to reconnect to his broadband package. You would have thought it is the simplest of tasks and one that they would dedicate resources to, but it seems to be impossible to connect. I have listened to him slowly melt with frustration. It would be harsh to say that I am amused by his misfortune, more because it underlines why we need Plebble!

James has since gone elsewhere and taken the hit of paying nearly twice the price. However his new broadband provider is treating him so well that he his quickly becoming an advocate for the company. His case is a simple example of how important it is for businesses to serve their customers well. Not only has James's old broadband provider lost £150 a year customer, but it has also lost an unquantifiable amount through his negative word of mouth. That the fact that word of mouth is unquantifiable is a large reason why businesses provide poor service. As they can't measure it they can't assess the downside of treating someone badly and the upside for treating someone well. This is no excuse however, it is the businesses like James's new provider that understand the importance of treating customers well that ultimately win.