The classes--quizzes, reading, assignments, etc--are all done online. It is easy, quick and convenient. The system of online learning works very well. The process is very slick and very efficient.
Until, that is, she tries to order her exams.
The exams have to be mailed (yes some people still mail things) from the university to a local proctor. The local proctor can be a local college or specially certified professor. Here's the way it's supposed to work: my wife requests the exam, the university mails it to the proctor, my wife gets a phone call when it arrives and goes to take the test. In theory this whole process should take 3 days at most.
Instead it usually takes 8 or 9. Usually the test doesn't arrive on time. Usually the local college acting as proctor has no idea where it is and is annoyed when my wife calls and asks. Usually the university from which the test was sent is less than helpful. 'We mailed it,' they say.
No one goes out of their way to help her solve this problem. Even though the test was supposed to arrive in 2-3 days and its been 7 or 8 or 9 days and it still isn't here, no one helps her.
She exclaimed to me in frustration today, 'I wish someone would just help me!'
She feels like no one at either the proctor college or the university cares. No one is willing to actually answer her questions and figure out where the flippin' test is! Instead they do the minimum their job requires. The proctor college says 'Nope, we haven't received the test,' the university says,' Yep, we sent the test.' And the Post Office certainly isn't helpful. (I probably didn't even need to tell you that--it goes without saying).
Here's the question for you: How often do customers call your business, get off the phone and exclaim to their spouse, 'I wish someone would just help me!'
Here's the other question: do you even know? Do you even know if your employees are truly helping your customers?
Here's my guess, based on 10 years of research at ContactPoint: you think you know if your employees are truly helpful, but, you don't.
That may sound harsh or cantankerous but it's true. Most business owners and managers simply don't know if their employees are truly helping their customers. They don't have a stinking clue if their employees are helpful or not. They think they do, but they don't.
Here's my advice: don't ever allow your customers to feel the frustration my wife feels about this university and proctor college.
'JUST HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS!
Free Customer Service Evaluation - Are Your Employees Truly Helping Your Customers (You know, the people who pay you).
