Customer Service - How Important Is It?
Here's an email I sent today to
Jaguar Kearny Mesa (San Diego)
and to Jaguar USA:
I stopped in today to look at the new cars. I have an XK8 convertible that I bought there in 2001, and although it has only 31,000 miles, I had been thinking of upgrading to an XK-R, the new model. Alternatively, I have also been looking at a new Aston Martin.
I spent about 20 minutes walking around the dealership, looking at various models, both Aston Martin and the Jag, inside the showrooms and the used car lot, and was completely ignored by everyone there. Absolutely no recognition whatsoever, even by the two receptionists in the showroom, or the two sales types who were chatting with each other in the office. It was as though I were invisible!
I would think that you would have a more finely tuned customer service awareness, but it seems that is not the case. And so, it appears that my next new car will not be a Jag, or an Aston Martin. But, based on my experience today, I'm sure you won't mind at all...
Here's the reply from Jaguar USA:
Dear Michael McCafferty,
Thank you for contacting Jaguar Cars.
Thank you for taking the time to discuss your negative experience with Crush Jaguar. It is through feedback like yours that we are able to learn of problems that exist and of the improvements that are needed in order to better serve our current and prospective customers. We regret that your experience with Crush Jaguar has tarnished your opinion of the Jaguar brand and further that we have missed the opportunity to retain your loyalty.
I am addressing your concerns internally and, in addition, have contacted the management at Crush Jaguar, advising them of your experience. In the meantime please be assured that you are a valued customer and we truly apologize for what has transpired. Should you have any additional questions or concerns or if there is anything else with which we may assist you, please do not hesitate to advise. I thank you again for taking the time to make us aware of this issue and for your patience while I responded to your inquiry. Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Heather Baez
Jaguar Cars
If you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-4-JAGUAR, option 9, or by e-mail.
Here's my reply to Jaguar USA:
Thank you for your FORM LETTER reply to my REAL email complaining about the utter lack of customer service at my local dealer. Now let me demonstrate another reason why it's so bad... they must have learned customer service from YOU (Jaguar USA)!
First of all, you refer to your dealer in San Diego as "Crush Jaguar". That dealer has been going by the name of "Cush Jaguar" for years ("Cush", not Crush). You would think your computers would have it right by now.
Additionally, it isn't even "Cush Jaguar" anymore. It was sold a while ago, and that's probably one of the reasons why the service is so non-existent, but that certainly is no reason why YOU (Jaguar USA) should be so oblivious to the name of your dealer, or why you can not even answer a longtime (since 1967) Jaguar customers' email with a personal reply.
I expected more from Jaguar. I suppose I was wrong. And so ends our long term relationship...
Michael McCafferty,
Del Mar, CA
Revised Fun House t-shirt logo
(click photo to BIGGIFY it)
Tell me what you think of the new
Mikie's Fun House t-shirt logo.
(there's still time to make changes)
Thanks!
Webby Awards
A website can be a competitive weapon,
or a waste of time and money,
or worse.
What does it take to have a great website?
Check out http://webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=10
for a list of the best websites of 2006
These are the nominees.
Winners will be announced later.
But for now you will get some good ideas for making yours
the best possible.
Check the selections on:
Banking/Bill Paying
Best Use of Video or Moving Image
Best Use of Animation or Motion Graphics
Best Visual Design - Aesthetic
Best Visual Design - Function
Blog Business
Corporate Communications
Financial Services
Professional Services
and, yes, even a "Weird" category,
along with a bunch of others you may not be interested in...
Check out http://webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=10
Enjoy!
And then, think to yourself:
"If we just applied a little bit of imagination..."
Cloud Front
(click to BIGGIFY the image)
Looking West, April 10, 2006
Moonset
Moonset.
Early morning,
at the edge of the Pacific.
February 13, 2006
A2B
How do you know where a website lives?
How can you find websites close to you?
Click on the graphic!
Invictus
INVICTUS
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
WILlIAM E. HENLEY
I have been informed by my younger brother,
who is given to knowing these things,
that the above poem is
a favorite of my father,
who is in his 91st year.
Could it be that his longevity --
thru Depression, World War,
building a business, and 6 kids --
is the result of the philosophy
in this poem?
Some see this verse as dark,
and yet I can see Determination and Optimism,
and I'm glad I got so much of it from him.
The Littlest Fun House
(click to BIGGIFY)
During the middle days of the
PAL adventure
this was where I lived.
It was certainly one of the smallest places,
(about as big as a one-car garage)
but it was right on the oceanfront,
with the added bonus of being at the entry to a pier!
This meant that I got to see
a lot of pretty girls coming and going...
The previous resident was a character who
was called "The Spaceman" of Ocean Beach, CA.
He had lived in this place for a long time,
so I had a lot of people knock on my door
asking "Spaceman here?"
I never met the guy,
but I heard he was overly fond of the drink
and that he also claimed to have had
close encounters with aliens,
and that he painted space scenes.
The beach was only a few steps away,
so I got to play a lot of frisbee.
Solitude
Solitude is our gift to Self.
It gives peace and stillness
which nurture the soul.
In the yin of emptyness
is the yang of society.
I am not anti-social
as much as a-social.
I can take it or leave it easily,
and I prefer to leave it.
Admit just one other
and solitude potential is halved.
Bandwidth is halved, at least.
Stress is doubled, at least.
Ah, the sweet serenity of solitude
and the sounds of the surf.
As with architecture,
it is the empty space that defines the whole.
I truly enjoy the company of friends,
but infrequently, one-on-one,
in meetings with a purpose.
