Customer "Care"

Pierre Dolet here.

Yesterday I wrote my Notes from the Cube “from Customer Care in the Sales Dept.” Forgetting what I wrote – I was pissed off – I got to thinking about the “Care” in “Customer Care.”

You see, we used to be “Customer Service” – and before that “Sales Support.” We actually haven’t changed what we do, just the titles. We are warmer and friendlier, apparently. “Sales” is so, so– transactional. And “Support,” well, if you bought a product from us, it is so good that it stands on its own: it certainly doesn’t need to be propped up and supported.

But “Service,” you see, is about helping you. The product is GREAT – but you may need that extra service to help you use it to its full potential.

In fact, we care about you – we really do. Hence, we are now “Customer Care.” We are the warm and fuzzy face of the Sales team. There are no problems to be fixed, no complaints to be salved – only “issues” to be “resolved” and “misunderstandings” to be “explained in a user-friendly manner.”

Customer Care: We have been, you may notice, at a Team Seminar explaining our department’s name change. It has affected us immediately.

Beautiful music on the phone. A pleasant, soothing voice: “Good morning, this is Customer Care. Your concerns are our concerns – and we will be with you in a few moments to address your needs. As you wait, please enjoy our complimentary selection of musical highlights to fit your taste. Press one for Easy Listening, Two for Classical Standards, Three for . . .”