Check's in the mail

Checking utility payments it was noticed that a certain utility had not received the last payment. The payment had been paid by check and mailed. Partly being old school, partly because online payments incur a “convenience “ fee, and partly because the only way to set up a recurring payment is to allow the utility access directly to your checking account (Not happening),

When I called to check (sorry had to) the problem, of course, I could hear the cliché of you know what being in the mail. Just as I’m sure the customer service rep could as well. But mine really was. Never missed a payment. Never had an issue, until now. All I could be told was that they didn’t receive the payment. Which is what I expected after checking the online account. What I wanted to know?  What was the problem on their end? I was told that there couldn’t be an inquiry unless the payment had been received and not applied to the account. There was no interest in recording a complaint, passing on a note to management, nothing.

I abandoned this tact and focused on the issue at hand, how to correct the missing payment. Once taken care of I thought of how this should have been handled and here we are.

If a decade's old customer called your business complaining of a lost payment, wouldn’t you want to know if there were a problem or potential problem in your accounting? Maybe not theft or misappropriation but just a systemic breakdown that could be easily fixed.

A simple record check would reveal that there has never been an issue with this client in the past. Now while there are a multitude of reasons why someone could miss a payment, someone with a sterling payment record should be given the benefit of the doubt. Depending on the size of the business it would not take long to review the procedures for handling invoices and payments.

After a thorough review, the customer should be re-contacted and informed of the findings. If no issues were found at least the assurance that the matter was taken seriously would be conveyed. The customer could then go about settling the payment.

The basis of the utilities’ investigation consisted of the customer service rep asking me what address I mailed the payment. Which was not a bad question, I guess, except that the answer was the address that is printed on the provided envelope. I was then told to check with the post office. That suggestion wasn’t even met with a reply.

I am sure lots of people try to put one over on utility companies. Rich or poor, whether you can pay or not, everyone needs power and water. Utilities have the option of turning off services for non-payment. Other businesses have usually already provided a product or service and would have to sue for remittance.  If there is a problem with the payment system the problem should not have to be solved by the customer. Even if customers have a history of non-payment complaints of accounting issues should be considered valid and investigated. Why wait until there is an embezzling problem to discover it? 

Regular reviews of systems and procedures should be conducted. Even for small businesses. Most small business operation offices are staffed with only a few people. Some employees wear more than one hat; most are trusted and well known. But therein lies the problem, sometimes. I’ve seen employees clean out smaller companies because they know the systems and where the weaknesses lie. No reviews or inspections are completed until it’s too late.

By the way, the utility apparently found the first payment and cashed it over a month after being mailed. Now I have a credit. WooHoo!

Whose problem?

One of my pet peeves is poor customer service. Not in the sense that the customer is always right, I demand satisfaction. But from a business operation standpoint of how a business handles customer service. 

When you have a problem and make contact with a company representative you don’t want to be punted down the line. The quicker resolution can be made the better for the customer and the company.

I use to believe that the person on the front lines, those dealing with the public either in person or over the phone are the face of the company. They should be able to resolve issues or know the limitations of systems. They should be trained in the issues facing the business. They are put out there by the company they should be empowered to acknowledge the problems, explain what the problems are, and be able to offer some resolution or compensation to the customer to immediately bring a conclusion. Still feel this way to a certain extent but a recent experience softened me to that point of view.

Calling a physician’s office patients are greeted with an automated system that offers several specific choices. There is no talk to a representative option. Pushing zero only causes the system to repeat itself. So, the caller is stuck with choosing one of the options. Having a non-emergency question, I chose that option. Being after closing hours I was greeted by a voicemail box instructing me how to leave a message and that someone will return my call. A message was left. Over 24 hours later no call. I call back and end up in the same voice mail. I decide to defeat the system by choosing an option that is not related to my topic but should land me with a real person. It does. Rightfully so, my issue is not their purview so I am transferred. Eventually, someone picks up.

They apologize for saying they didn’t get my original message. Wanting to make my point about their system, I explain that a message was left and after a little back and forth, I finally realize that I am speaking to a nurse that is trying to help me with my question. She has no idea how the phone system works or who even manages the system. We both apologize. Me for my gruff behavior, her for the system that she didn’t care for either.

This person is on the “front lines” in the sense that she answered the phone. But she had nothing to do with the phone system. This was an office manager’s issue. Sometimes employees are victims of the system. They have no control over it. They are put on the front lines without managerial support.

I’ve learned that empathizing with the front line employee about the issue seems to have a better effect. Engage them in a friendly manner, identify the issue and what a problem it must be for them. I usually find that they are just as frustrated with the situation as the customers. Bringing the issue to light in this manner tends to make the employee more inclined to pass on the customer’s comments to management.

While you may have issues with a sale, billing, or how you were treated you have to realize that the customer service representative is trying to help. Some may be better than others but they are trying to resolve your issue. Sometimes it is hard getting to the right person or a person for that matter. Know with whom you are speaking. Only relate the issue at hand and deal with that. You’ll probably have a much better experience than trying to force the rep to fix the system. 

Refer to the blog archive for other posts about Customer Service.

Family meal night

For this post, I'm taking a break from business topics and back to food. As in past musings about food, it’s more about the experience than the recipe.

We have always made a point to eat as a family for dinner. Breakfasts and lunches are trickier, doing our best when we can. Call us old-fashioned, but it was something that we tried to instill in our children. Having meals together is one of the best times to really talk to each other. Find out what’s happening in each other’s lives. Getting all the schedules to align wasn’t and isn’t always easy. Sometimes meals are early or late to accommodate a family member. Rather than skip or exclude we have tried to make it work.

Most days the conversation is nothing more than the usual “How was your day?” banter. But it is still conversation and usually evolves into something more serious, and sometimes not so serious. It may be only for the duration of the meal, but it allows everyone to take a breath, catch up, and recharge.

The focus on dining together has morphed into special meals and “days”. Sundays have now become family breakfast days. And although some have moved out on their own, they occasionally return for the Sunday specialties. While we each will try a unique breakfast, Sundays have become my wife’s chance to show off and make some special meals.

Pizza night

Friday’s have turned into Pizza night. Having a hankering for cast iron deep-dish pizza I set out making one. It was a hit so the next week I tried a different version of a pizza by making my own dough. The sensation caught on and now we have homemade pizza every Friday we’re home. Each of us takes a different week and comes up with our own creations, from traditional versions to exotic.

Deconstructed meals

The “bowl” options at many fast-casual restaurants have inspired us to make our own bowls at home. Mediterranean, Mexican, Japanese, even Italian, we have deconstructed just about any dish normally served in a wrap or other type of containment. It has become a happy challenge for me and anticipation for the family to see what we can break down. To add to the enjoyment the ingredients are set up in a build your own, assembly line, fashion along the kitchen counter. This allows everyone to get even more creative and adjust the meal to his or her taste.

Burrito bowls have been commercially prepared for years. Nothing new here, just a fun meal in a bowl at home. Shawarma isn’t really “deconstructed” but it is one of our favorites and still fun to build and eat with warm naan bread.

One of our all-time favorites is a deconstructed California roll, which is the bowl featured as the post picture. Made with everything you’d find in the roll such as imitation crabmeat, avocado, cucumber strips, carrots, sesame seeds, and seaweed “chips” as a garnish. I used jasmine rice for its aroma and stickiness.

Nothing here is going to end up on Food Network. This isn’t a panacea that fixes all family problems. It is a family tradition that harkens to childhoods and playing outside until called to supper. Or you heard the dinner bell. Funny thing is, my wife and I both grew up in the same state but in different parts. Not so different that both our families did, in fact, have dinner bells. And we ran when we heard them. Because you had meals as a family. That was that. At that moment in time, you know where everyone is. That everyone is safe.

Check the blog archive for other posts relating to food, meals, and recipes.

Omelet station observations July 2018

Recipe for history December 2017

No autographs, please

Beginning April 14, 2018, some of the major credit card companies eliminated the need to sign receipts, for any amount. American Express, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover had a previous signature requirement for any purchase over $50. The major card companies ended the requirement hoping to expedite customer experience at checkout. Since the announcement, it seems as if every store now has a different requirement at checkout. Some checkouts are as simple as tap and go-some still require a signature.

Signing

Signing the keypads was a holdover from the credit receipt days when your signature acknowledged that you were responsible for the charge. This carried over to the electronic signature pads, which really just became an acknowledgment of the purchase. Even if someone did steal your card they could sign any name. Credit card companies and merchants would use the signature to settle sale disputes, but with advancement, in fraud detection technology they say signatures are no longer necessary. Over the years the need for a signature had become a joke to some. People scribble on signature pads, sometimes with their fingers, illegible signatures or actually write, “This is not my card”, to test cashiers. The truth is, cashiers would rarely look at the back of the cards. With the advent of the keypads, the cards rarely exchanged hands so cashiers could not compare the signatures. Some retailers would ask for ID to compare the customer with the name on the card. This is becoming even rarer.

Why sign the back?

Most cards require a signature on the card to “validate” the card. In an attempt at fraud protection, some customers refuse to sign the card or write, “Ask for ID”.  Sometimes this works, but most of the feedback I’ve heard is the cashier refusing to accept the card. If the card is not signed and is stolen then the thief could use his or her own signature. 

Card signatures are probably moot because the card rarely exchanges hands. Except in the restaurant industry. With all of the fraud protection and level of security awareness, we assume we achieve, a restaurant is still one of the very few places we had our cards to strangers and allows them to walk out of our view.

As fraud detection technology advanced the need for signatures has decreased in the last several years. The implementation of the EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa-Which are the companies that developed the technology) chip and contactless readers has eliminated the need for the signature as these advancements have decreased the use of fraudulent cards. Unlike the magnetic strips, chips protect against hacking as the chips produce a one-time password or token to exchange the card data. Hackers may be able to obtain the information through breaches but it is unlikely they would be able to use the data or it would be too costly to decipher. This is the same technology used when using a Smartphone to pay at a contactless reader.  

Speed speed speed

In reading all the news releases regarding the removal of the signature requirement, the constant theme was speed at the checkout. Banks and merchants want to get customers through the checkout as quickly as possible. This also removes the cashier’s interaction with the customer’s card. The onus is on the “system”, not the cashier to verify the card. What it doesn’t do is verify the identity of the possessor.

Chip technology only proves that the card is real. It does not provide security as to the identity of the possessor. Therefore, if your card is stolen it can still be used until canceled. That is why it is extremely important to report your cards as lost or stolen immediately after discovering such. Some banks offer a mobile feature that allows you to remotely freeze your card until it can be found or verified that it has been lost or stolen.

Banks are experimenting with biometric identification methods to further verify the card’s user. Similar to your Smartphone, fingerprint verification would be needed to approve the transaction. Europeans have been using chip-embedded cards, since 1994. The next step in European credit security will be chip and PIN, which will require users to enter a PIN to verify identity. The same as using a debit card. America had been slow to adopt chip-embedded cards due to the millions of magnetic strips already in use. With the push for speed at checkout, Americans will get use to not having a signature pause and may balk at having to add a PIN to the process.

Retailers will have the decision whether or not to require the signature. Some have already become removing the requirement. Some may be restricted by the hardware used to complete the credit transactions. As point of sale equipment is updated even more merchants will not require signatures.

Until then don’t be shocked if the clerk just smiles and hands you the receipt. Or would you like it emailed?

Refer to the blog archive and categories for more posts about identity theft and fraud.

Omelet station observations

Observations of human nature while at the omelet station. 

While having breakfast at a hotel restaurant I was seated at a table facing the omelet station. The station was set up along long tables/s/ that were configured with a curve. Allowing the chef to access both ends with few steps and little reach. There were no signs but it was obvious, to me at least, which end of the table the finished omelets were being dispensed. The starting point had a varied selection of ingredients and the eggs. The middle section had four portable burners. The end had a stack of plates. The chef would greet each guest at the ingredient end and ask how to prepare the omelet. The chef would fill the pan with the guest’s selection and place the pan on the next available burner to coincide with where the guest was in line. The guest, it was assumed, was to follow the pan throughout the process and pick up the finished omelet at the other end.

Throughout my meal I observed the majority of people respond to the process as described above. A very few waited at the end of the line to place their order but were politely pointed in the correct direction by other guests. My observations were not about how efficient the omelet station worked but how people act and react towards others and stimuli in general.

For the most part, everyone was polite to the chef. A few seemed to have problems with the system or were just, simply, rude. The whole process of receiving your omelet took far less than five minutes. Probably a much shorter time than would take someone to create the same meal at home. Yet, people cannot wait that long. They’d place their order and walk off. Some would go to another food station, make some choices and return. Some would wander off and return with nothing else. The problem is that they would reinsert themselves in a line that had passed them by, causing some consternation from those waiting. Additionally, their leaving the area would mess up the chef’s rhythm. He would complete an order and have no one to hand it to. I’m sure he was not supposed to or would rather not have plated an omelet and leave it to set on the table.

For some reason, a choice of cheese was made at the end of the process as the omelet finished. This caused the chef to have questions about the order. If no one were there he would have to make a decision to add or not add cheese. I saw this happen on one occasion causing the guest to complain and the chef to trash the omelet and start over.

One gentleman was on his phone during the ordering phase and then walked away. As his omelet progressed through the line he returned to the area of the station but did not approach, still on his phone. The chef waited for the man to approach, which he did not. Guessing that the chef did not want to call out across the room, he motioned to get the man’s attention and while that did work the man did not approach or pause his call to address the chef. Couldn’t tell if the final decision was cheese or no cheese.  

Some people tend to have an air of superiority when it comes to the service industry. Whether they were raised in privilege or act that way when they are out, they treat food service workers as their personal servants. Few please and thank yous were provided. Personally, I try to be polite to people handling my food. You should expect to be provided with appropriate service, but ticking off the wait staff before you receive your food may not be wise. These situations seem to bring out the rudimentary manners we were all taught or neglected for basic human interaction.

The main observation was the lack of patience society has developed. Granted this was breakfast at what could be described as a business hotel. People aren’t their best in the mornings to start with, let alone while on business travel. There were no sociological breakthroughs. Just curious as I watched people interact with the chef and each other. Some over complicating a simple process. Some just go with the flow. For the most part, it was a congenial process that sent people off with a made to order hot omelet.

A generation changes hiring

What benefits are you willing to provide to attract today’s workforce? The U.S. Millennial generation is poised to outnumber Baby boomers by 2019. The Pew Research Center estimates that Millennials will number over 73 million while Boomers decline to 72 million. This population surge also translates to the workforce as Pew reported that Millennials did, in fact, surpass Baby Boomers in 2016.

So the chances of your hiring pool being populated by Millennials is very high. What you were offering in the way of incentives and hiring packages in the past may not be of interest today. Applicants may turn down your offering because of a better package elsewhere. And that doesn’t always mean money.

Companies know that the job marketplace is changing. In order to be competitive, incentives to hire are being reconsidered. Pension plans are being phased out as companies look to save money and retirement accounts have become portable. While one business may pay well another may have a more “millennial” conducive atmosphere. The younger workforce seeks independence and freedom to make choices. You don’t need brick and mortar to start a business and these potential employees know that. Today is easier than ever to follow the dream of being your own boss and launching a business that will change the world. Attracting and retaining talent is becoming difficult and competitive. Companies need to tap into the energy that is driving the marketplace. But how do they draw potential talent into the corporate world? By downplaying the corporate label and integrating freedom and flexibility into the workplace.

Being aware of massive student loan debt facing today’s graduate, companies are offering better than average salary options as well as paying for postgraduate degrees and training. The cube farms of yesteryear still exist to some extent, not everyone can have a corner office. But the office decor is more upbeat and well lighted encouraging a more productive environment. Playing to the work-life balance many companies have embraced the idea of unlimited leave. Which may sound like a pathway to abuse but past studies have shown that employees with unlimited time off benefits actually took less leave. If a business doesn’t have a gym on the grounds they offer access to established gyms nearby. Team bonding events, both on and off-site. Nurseries. Pet sitting services. Meals and snacks. The list is ever growing and is only limited by the employer’s imagination and of course what they can afford.

Studies have shown that the Millennial generation is changing the marketplace. They are also changing the workplace. If not by their expectations of what employers should offer but how the company is managed. The entrance level employees ten years ago are upper-level management and CEO’s today.

You may offer a traditional employment package with a higher salary but if your competitors' benefits and culture are better, you’re losing talent. If not at the hiring phase but during retention. Changes to the hiring and benefits culture may be a slow drag for some employers into a new era but it should also affect the workplace in its entirety in a positive manner.

See the blog archive for other posts relating to the Millennials workforce.

Hiring in the Millennial age May 2017
Customer service in the Millennial age March 2017
Not like all the others September 2016

Why am I doing all the work?

NOTE: This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated with relevant information.

McDonald’s recently announced that it would be expanding automated ordering kiosks to 1,000 stores per quarter for the next eight quarters. Pundits rued the announcement as McDonald’s response to labor costs due to higher minimum wage requirements, thus eliminating the need for cashiers. Of course, McDonald’s did not report or even intimate that cashier’s would be replaced or their workforce reduced. The kiosks are meant to supplement the cashiers and enhance the customer experience. Admittedly, McDonald’s CEO noted that. “kiosks allow customers to dwell on the available options and choices, which in turn promotes additional sales.”

While no company would admit to eliminating jobs, one has to wonder the longer-term effect over time. Layoffs may not occur but will companies installing point of sale automation continue to hire at the same rate as before automation?

Over the years we’ve become accustomed to pumping our own gas, bagging our groceries, and other self-checkout situations. As technology improves mobile ordering and service delivery becomes more frequent. Fast food restaurants have integrated phone apps and pay systems to allow for mobile ordering and pickup. Most of these businesses don’t appear to have fewer employees, but, again, what will the industry experience after automation has been in place for several years? Gas stations use to have several employees dedicated to pumping gas. Now there is one operating the terminal that controls the pumps. Grocery stores have ten plus checkout lanes installed sometimes only having a couple staffed.

Automation may or may not affect the workforce but it is affecting the customer experience and wallet. While self-checkouts and automation may make the customer experience smoother, faster, and more convenient it is not lowering prices. Begging the question-Why am I, the customer, doing the work of the service provider for the same price? Recent experiences brought this to light.

Having telephone issues, issues meaning no dial tone, which translates into a true triple play of also no Internet or TV, the problem was reported. Rather than fight the system and try to talk to a person I decided to play along with the online troubleshooting. After a half hour on the floor performing several technical tasks to determine the nature of the problem, the online assistant determined that there was something wrong with the incoming line and repairs were needed. Wise decision. I do admit that following the system and performing the checks wasn’t that difficult. After the troubleshooting, I was even guided through the repair appointment process. Although given that all of our communications were out, the process could not have been completed without a Smartphone.

Not so long ago, a repair technician would have come out and completed the whole process. Which in this case they still had to do. The point being, I did the repair troubleshooting. Did I get a stipend or bill discount for performing the tech work?

The second instance was noticed while checking in for a flight. You can already check in and print boarding passes from the comfort of home or directly to your phone. Then if you have bags to check, you report to the airline agent who checks your paperwork, weighs your bag, prints and attaches your luggage claim tags and takes your bags. This flight introduced us to a new system for our convenience. Once at the airport we were shuttled to a kiosk where we checked our bags, printed our luggage claim tags, attached the tags, and then handed them to an agent, who put them on the conveyor, which was the only step performed by the airline. Didn’t see any payment for that day's work either.

As technology improves more and more services are being pushed onto the consumer. Companies reassign personnel because the customer is now performing those jobs, but prices stay the same. Companies explain this by saying that they are able to keep their prices low by adding the new “self-serve” features. Keep prices low? How about lowER?

Yes, it is more convenient and sometimes quicker to just do things for yourself.  Eventually, there will be no human interaction at all. Just scan your phone and off you go. Oh yeah…that’s happening now.