What I Learned About Customer Service From A Trolley Driver
“No man can get rich himself unless he enriches others” ~Earl Nightingale
I recently learned some powerful lessons about customer service from a trolley driver. I am telling this story because of what it taught me. We should all be students of customer service. We all serve someone and it is through this service that we earn a living. I plan to use the lessons I learned last week to improve the service I deliver. I believe these things are gold nuggets that can help anyone get more out of life.
The customer service mishap from my point of view.
Here’s what happened. I was standing in the direct sun in 94 degree heat with my wife and two daughters waiting to catch the trolley. We were at an unfamiliar outdoor shopping area on our vacation hoping to catch a ride back to the Disney Store. We saw the trolley coming our way. The four of us stood innocently beside the trolley path and signaled to the driver with a friendly wave that we desired a ride. The driver looked right at us and kept going!
At this point, I noticed a trickle of sweat run down my back. I wasn’t the only one that was hot. The kids were heating up as well and as you parents know, hot kids soon become cranky kids. I felt slightly annoyed that the trolley passed us by, but I knew it was almost at its turnaround and thought the driver must have wanted to unload his passengers before picking us up for the return trip. He makes this same trip back and forth from one end of the shopping strip to the other hundreds of times a day. I trusted that he knew what he was doing.
We shuffled the family a few feet in the direction of the trolley and assumed our position again right along the trolley path. I waved this time a little more insistently. The driver slowed, but did not stop. Instead, he announced to us over the trolley’s speaker system that he could only pick us up at the designated trolley stop that was about 30 yards from our present location. He pointed that direction, left us standing, and proceeded down the path.
I was fumed! Realizing that this was our only opportunity to catch a ride back to the other end of the shopping strip, we herded the two kids toward the trolley. The driver was now looking back at us impatiently in his rearview mirror. We didn’t hurry although I did feel somewhat anxious that the driver might just leave us.
My confrontation and complaint with the driver.
As we slid into the seats, the driver stated that he was only allowed to pick-up at the designated stops. I had to respond. I couldn’t help myself. I was seriously irritated. I’m sure the heat had something to do with it, plus I’m sort of a connoisseur of customer service and I knew a major faux pas had just occurred. One that I needed to correct.
I let the driver know of my frustration in a very accusatory tone by saying, “I think that’s pretty crappy customer service.” He repeated, “They only let me pick-up at the stops. Would you like me to give you a map?” A slight irritation now showed in his voice. “No”, I argued, “I’d rather talk to your supervisor about the stupid rules.” The driver was now visibly upset by the confrontation, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to handle it. He said, “I’m just doing what I was told.” I shot back my response looking him directly in the eyes via the rearview mirror, “You’re doing a fabulous job.” My sarcasm was so thick it was practically dripping from my lips.
The driver was now quite frustrated with me. He got on his walkie-talkie and summoned a supervisor to immediately come to the trolley to deal with an upset passenger. An older man with his own walkie-talkie showed up in a couple of minutes. My wife took over as I sat quietly stewing. It was better that she talked. I would have probably gotten us thrown off.
The supervisor just reiterated the policy stated by the driver. He did however go on to explain that they had to do it that way for liability reasons. Apparently, too many stops increased the likelihood of an accident. Shortly thereafter, we were on our way to the Disney Store, but without feeling any better about the situation.
The customer service lessons this drove home.
Granted, the lessons I learned aren’t new ideas. In fact, this episode really just drove home for me some things that have been rattling around in my head for awhile. I picked them up here and there over the years. However, through this situation, they all just jelled for me and suddenly became crystal clear. It’s strange how things happen like that. Anyway, here’s the customer service lessons I learned from a trolley driver.
1. Complaints are good to hear.
What!?! Yep, it is true. Complaints are precious. They are the most valuable pieces of information our customers ever give us. They tell us exactly what we are doing wrong. They give us clear clues on how to improve. Customers that actually complain are a blessing! They are doing us a favor and we should reward them. Not many customers will actually go to the trouble to complain. They’ll just quietly take their business elsewhere. Those that complain give us the opportunity to fix what is broken.
2. Explanations of how the customer is wrong do not work.
When a customer is complaining, shut up and listen! Again, complaints are more valuable than diamonds. All too often, we do what the trolley driver and supervisor did. They both tried to explain why they were right and I was wrong. They were right. The trolley did have designated stops. They were just doing their jobs. However, explaining this to me was not in anyway meeting their overarching mission to deliver me happily to the place where I want to spend my money. The better thing to do is to ask open-ended questions and seek to more fully understand the customer’s desires.
3. Stop insisting on doing things your way.
People fail in business because they continue to do things their way instead of doing what the customer wants. It seems crazy, but all too often we insist on trying to shove our product or service down the customer’s throat when it isn’t giving them what they really want. Stop doing this! Find out what your customers want and then give it to them. If customers want to be picked up anywhere along the trolley path, then do away with the designated stops. A business becomes successful one customer at a time. Businesses and people that thrive over the long haul know how to adjust what they do to their ever-changing customer desires.
4. Your boss is not your most important customer.
This is a hard one to internalize. Your boss has a lot of influence over your well-being at the company. The boss decides your raises, your retention, and your advancement, but they still aren’t your most important customer. The person your business serves is your most important customer. If you do an absolutely fantastic job of wowing the customers that partake of your work product, then your boss will let a lot of other things slide. If they don’t, then they probably won’t be the boss for long. Serve your customers in such a fashion that you far exceed their greatest expectations and they will sing your praises so loudly and proudly that you’ll fly up the corporate ladder. The world is full of mediocrity. Fantastic service will set you apart.
5. Breaking the rules will impress your customer.
Rules are made to be broken! Notice in my story that both the driver and the supervisor knew the rules and followed them, but they pissed off their customer. They were under the illusion that their bosses were their most important customers and they insisted on doing things their way. Think about it. We are usually most impressed with the service we receive when the individual serving us breaks the rules. These servants are smart enough to know that policies are simply guidelines, their true mission is to please the customer above all else. If breaking a few rules will make a customer happy, then by all means go for it! Businesses should have one overarching rule above all others, “Use your head and do your best to please the customer.” This is one rule that should never be broken!
6. Everyone is a customer whether they are buying or not.
We can apply these concepts to every role in our lives. Every person we interact with is our customer. Our spouses, our children, our peers, our friends, our neighbors, and of course, those at work. It doesn’t matter if your customers pay a dime for the service you provide them. Following these simple suggestions will help you achieve excellence in every area of your life. The better we listen to and serve our customers, the more successful we will be.
7. Our station in life is equal to the service we provide.
Do you want to be more successful? Increase your level of service to your customers and things will start happening. Your success is directly proportional to the service you provide. Find a way to give your customers or organization more of what they want and they will give you more of what you want. The success we enjoy today is exactly equal to the service we provide. If you want that raise or promotion, then find out what your customers want and give it to them. Do this consistently and you’ll earn more success.
My conclusion about the trolley.
I owe that trolley driver a big thank you! Not for the service he provided, but for the lessons he drove home for me. The trolley existed to enhance the shopping experience and I’m sure it was supported by the stores I patronized during my shopping visit. A hot, frustrated, grumpy customer is not typically in the buying mood. The trolley did not serve me or the stores well. The driver obviously did not understand the lessons he brought to light for me. In this case, I got more from his lack of service than I would have otherwise!
What customer service lessons have made you successful?
Photo by Tomcio77
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Marc and Angel Hack Life | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
In the customer service world it’s all about flexibility… something that is often overlooked. I like the points you’ve made here. Well stated.
Four Pillars | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
I think they should have communicated the rules better (ie stopped the first time and told you).
I disagree that they should break the rules - why put your job and perhaps the company in jeopardy? What if the rules are for legal reasons? I know what you mean about being flexible but you have to do it within reason.
Mike
Jeff | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
@Marc - Being flexible does seem like such an important part of customer service. Unfortunately, so often, companies dictate rules and give employees so little leeway to meet the customer’s needs.
@FP - You are right that breaking the rules has to be done within reason. I guess I was thinking of smaller rules instead of the ones that could cause your company legal problems. However, I have “broken” policies over the years at various employers when taking care of a customer and never gotten fired for it.
Thanks for your input it is greatly appreciated!
B Smith @ Wealth and Wisdom | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
Jeff-Welcome back. I hope you had a great break!
Great post taking a lesson from life. Half the frustration you felt was because the system was set up for the company not to make the customer experience better. It is my biggest frustration at my job. Systems are created to make the processing easier for the supplier without consideration for what it does to the customer.
The other half was due to an under paid and under appreciated employee. Why would he want to put his job on the line?
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
It’s great that you are drawing some lessons from your bad experience. I’ve been in similar situations before. There was nothing I could do to get my point across. Patience was what I had to learnt, in the process!
Evelyn
Ron@TheWisdomJournal | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
The biggest fault lies with the trolley company that didn’t communicate their policies effectively. Perhaps little signs that said “Trolleys only pick patrons up at designated stops” and then a map of the designated stops on the sign.
The problem lies in that we have too many rules. There’s a rule for almost ever single thing we do. If the trolley driver had apologized and had taken a different tone, you might have had a different blog post!
Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
It’s always interesting how only certain types of people can last on these rule-following jobs. Your situation did have some legal aspects to it, but the ones that are most annoying to me are where being flexible is not dangerous, but would be so expedient if only the rule-follower could bend.
Jeff | Jul 22, 2008 | Reply
@Brandt - Why is it that systems are so often set up this way? You would think that companies would understand they are in business to serve their customers not themselves.
@Evelyn - It certainly takes a lot of patience to keep your cool in these situations. It is interesting how some situations don’t bother me and others, like this one, really get me going.
@Ron - I agree that we have entirely too many rules. If we are going to create rules, then we have to communicate them effectively so we can properly manage customer expectations.
@Flora - This guy was definitely a rule-follower. The funny thing is I get the feeling I wasn’t their first customer to complain about this rule because they seemed pretty touchy about it.
Thanks so much for your contributions!
mwaters | Jul 22, 2008 | Reply
Perhaps a different slant on it. If the trolley was full of people (I understand this was not the case for you) and kept stopping every few feet to pick up people who were randomly flagging it down, wouldn’t that make the customers already on the trolley, angry and annoyed? What about the customers waiting patiently at the designated stops who had to wait longer while the trolley made numerous unscheduled stops? Wouldn’t they become angry and annoyed? Who’s experience should the trolley driver be more concerned about, the ones who followed the rules or the ones who didn’t? I imagine the trip from one end of the run to the other would take significantly longer if the trolley had to stop every time someone flagged him down. It seems as though having standard stops (pretty common for any sort of mass transit) makes a more efficient run for everyone involved.
Mrs. Micah | Jul 23, 2008 | Reply
It’s not the driver’s fault that his company didn’t mark things clearly. And the world doesn’t bend its rules to your convenience and whims, even if you’re paying…just like you wouldn’t expect a backrub from him. It’s not how the trolley works.
Reading this, I was shocked because it sounds like you behaved like a complete jerk to that guy. He didn’t stop, but he a) told you how to fix the situation (where the stop was), b) waited for you, and c) offered you a map. That’s probably more than he needed to do. He might have even apologized for the rule nicely if you hadn’t immediately attacked him and called his customer service “crappy.”
At work, there are certain rules about which fines I may and may not waive. If I’m “flexible” I could lose my job. So even if a patron didn’t realize the books were due, that’s not a reason I can waive a fine. Or if their friend lost the book. We do accept explanations that the person had a death in the family, even though we can’t verify them, because the library considers that a good excuse. I try to be nice about it, but some people are quite rude and angry about having to pay fines. That doesn’t mean they don’t have to pay (I explain that they could come back at a later time if they don’t want to pay today but they can’t take books today) any more than if I was working at a store and they tried to walk out with merchandise.
In our case, the rules are there for a reason…its an attempt to get the book back on time. In his case, the rules apparently had to do with safety and timing.
As someone who rides public transit all the time, I also think mwaters makes an excellent point about the logic of the system. Both the regular DC buses and the open-top sightseeing ones that tourists can hop on and off of only stop at their regular (well-marked) stops. If you miss it, tough cookies…but it also means the bus will be on time.
Jeff | Jul 23, 2008 | Reply
@Mrs. Micah: I have to respectfully disagree with your assessment of the situation. The rule-based world where certain organizations still operate is obsolete. It assumes that customers have no where else to go. This is typical of government-run institutions and it is why most citizens hate to deal with these agencies. In the private sector, where customers equal profits and jobs, the smart companies have figured this out. They realize that serving customers means providing them with what they want. We don’t have the luxury anymore of telling the customer, “My way or the highway.” This certainly doesn’t work in the competitive economy we live in today.
Now I agree to an extent that I was a jerk. I even allude to it in my article by stating that I felt it was my job to correct the situation. However, as a consumer, if I never complain, then I never give the organization a chance to improve. As I said, the customers that complain are doing you a favor. Most will just quit doing business with you without ever saying anything. No customers, no job.
You work for the public library system right? I’m a big fan. I think it is the greatest public instituion ever created, but have you ever wondered why so many people hang out at Barnes and Noble when the books are free at the library? Because B&N gives the customer what they want and libraries generally still live by the old paradigm.
I will not concede to follow the masses and go along with bad practices. As a consumer and tax-payer, I have a right to speak up. Demanding better service is the only way I’m going to get it.
I appreciate your complaint and thank you for giving me the chance to improve my argument!
George | Jul 25, 2008 | Reply
Sorry, but what you describe here is completely a “Customer Suck.”
As Mrs. Micah said, mass transit has designated stops - they cannot be stopping everywhere to pick up passengers.
You completely missed (refused to respond to) the point about how it would be bad service to everyone on board to be stopping every 30 yards to let people on and off the bus/trolley.
If you want personalized transportation service - get a taxi. You can wave them down and they will stop - because that is their job since they do not have designated routes.
Along the cab line of discussion - would a cabbie be accused of giving bad service if he didn’t stop for you where you wanted due to regulations as to where they can stop to pick up passengers? I would guess you would say yes. In certain parts of downtown Chicago there are designated cabstands (like bus/trolley stops) and if cabbies are caught picking up outside of those areas they can face $75 fines.
Dave | Jul 25, 2008 | Reply
“The rule-based world where certain organizations still operate is obsolete” is the most outrageous statement I read in this entire post, and that says a lot. The notion that the customer is always, unconditionally, right is simply not true, even if we are, in an Internet world, becoming more and more accustomed to on-demand service.
You mention that the stop was a mere 30 yards away. That’s 90 feet of walking. Was it really worth berating the trolley driver because you were so horribly inconvenienced that you had to walk 90 feet?
There’s no way, in my mind, that the minor inconvenience you experienced forgives overstepping the bounds of common decency with someone whose job could very well have been in jeopardy if he’d broken the rules. And that’s notwithstanding the fact that the health and safety of his passengers was in jeopardy if he’d not abided by those rules as well.
Sorry to be blunt, but couching this argument in the language of “customer service” doesn’t make it any less selfish, silly, or insubstantial.
Just a Guy | Jul 25, 2008 | Reply
How incredibly selfish of you to hold up the trolley even longer to speak to the supervisor. You could have just gotten a phone number or email address, as you knew darn well they weren’t going to change their policy right then and there.
GM for SW FL Trolley Co | Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
I have been faced with this kind of craziness on a daily basies. What I have noticed is most of the complaints come from out-of-towners. They get down here and think that rules and laws don’t apply to them because they are on vacation. I see cars stopping in the middle of the slow lane while they look at their maps. They wouldn’t do that in their city. It’s these same people that think the trolley should just stop anywhere they happen to be. It’s my job to see that the schedualed pick up times are met as the majority of the ridership are working class people who depend on a timely pick up and drop off. You can blame the driver, the supervisor, the company for whatever reasons make you feel better. The fact is your RUDE! You yelled at a driver who is following protocal, you hold up an entire trolley to speak with the supervisor and I bet not once did it occur to you that YOU made some poor unfortunate soul late for work or late for the Disney Store. I hope the trolley had A/C for your comfort as it seems to me if the temp outside was hot I would not have slowly taken my time once the trolley had stopped. If that driver knew you were going to yell and cause a scene I’m sure he would have zoomed away while you took your time. Those so called “stupid rules” are in place for many reasons it’s just to bad you can see past your 30 yard walk. I wonder if your children think you have stupid rules or maybe you have none for them. Oh yeah, your wife stepping in to defuse the embassement she was facing and the fact that YOU might have to walk to the Disney Store because she knew you were taking her and the kids into the no trolley zone! I travel a lot and just this weekend I happened to be staying in the Orlando area and in my room on a table tent left for my safety one of the things it suggested was knowing how the transit system worked and where your pick up and drop off points were. It’s to bad that you didn’t follow that “stupid rule” as it would have saved everyone involved much time and you and your family would have made it to the Disney Store so you could spend your money happily. I don’t think the trolley driver is looking for a big thank you but a big I’M SORRY I KNOW I’M RUDE would probably work! Get a trolley scheduale next time or flag a taxi!
Mrs. Micah | Jul 29, 2008 | Reply
Firefox’s “smart location bar” just popped this up, so I noticed the response…
Some things must be “my way or the highway” in business. If you want to take a book but refuse to get a library card, we won’t let you. We wouldn’t have books left for the other patrons. If I won’t pay for a coffee at Starbucks, they won’t let me have it. I can talk to the supervisor until I pass out and there’s still no free coffee.
Sure, we do our best to ensure customer service within the rules. I would tell that person that they’re welcome to spend all day reading that book in the library. Or I would assist them as much as I could if they wanted to get a library card but encountered a problem (we need ID of some sort). We even have some leniency in that a person without proof of address (but with some proof of ID) may borrow one book at a time on their card until it’s resolved.
I think the number of people who use our materials and computers is about 20% more than we can handle with our staff funding allocation anyway and I know it’s growing every month (at least the numbers say so), so I suppose we can afford to lose the rest to a place that offers coffee, different selection, and the possibility to buy.
I’ll bet that they’d be drawing some hard-and-fast lines if you tried to break their rules, though. Like the one about paying when you take the book out.
In the same way, I’m also not allowed to eat on the buses/trains or in the stations because of all the health risks involved. Or walk in the tunnels. But I use the system perfectly well by expecting to obey these rules. I have found many bus drivers quite courteous and accommodating (e.g. pointing out my stop when we get there if I’ve asked about it or holding the bus if they were just about to pull away). The buses also show up when they should…which is more useful in the long run than it would if they stopped for everyone who waves at them in random places.
Some rules really are there for a reason. I hope you’ve explained this to your kids. A sense of entitlement to everything won’t bring happiness. How much better would your day have been if you’d asked for a map, thanked him for waiting, and just gone on with it? How much happier would your blog have been?
Jeff | Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
Mrs. Micah and others:
First, I will admit that I could have handled this situation better. I should not have been rude or held up the trolley for other patrons. I could have expressed my complaint in a more effective way and somewhere other than on the trolley. These are constructive comments that I accept.
However, I think this situation has been blown out of proportion and misunderstood. This was not a mass transit trolley. It was a trolley designed to serve the small shopping area in which I was a patron. It’s total course was only about 300 yards long. It took the trolley about 10 minutes to go from one end to the other. It did not operate on public streets, but on a closed course. It exists solely as a conveinence to the patrons of this shopping area. I probably did not make this clear before.
Obviously, mass transit vehicles have to operate in a certain way and on a tight schedule due to the number of citizens they serve and for the other reasons that you have pointed out.
Also, some of the things assumed here about my personality infers too much. I am generally a mild-mannered, law-abiding person that tries hard not to infringe on the rights of others. I teach my children to be polite, but assertive.
I am a good citizen and I believe the library system is an awesome institution and serves us well. I borrow books regularly, return them on-time, and pay my fines when they are due. I am a model library patron.
I believe conformity to laws and certain ways of behavior is necessary in a civlized society. I believe policies and rules have value, but I believe they are guidelines. They do not take the place of human judgement. Furthermore, I don’t believe I am entitled to everything, but I do believe that customers are entitled to service.
Finally, I was simply using this situation to illustrate some points about customer service. I think it has been exaggerated beyond what occurred and too much has been inferred into the situation based on other experiences.
I truly appreciate your comments and your effort in helping me to evaluate my behavior and realize my mistakes. I will really try to do better next time. I hope this helps to settle these issues.
Thanks for the time you took to comment!