Cary Johnston lost out to poor customer service but fought back and won. Here’s how.

Those of you who are keen readers of Expatica may be familiar with the recent problems I have been experiencing with Spanish business service - ie. lack of it (see article “Come fly with me”)

Well guess what? I now find myself in the somewhat uncomfortable position of being put to flight with my tail firmly between my legs.

For no sooner had my article of airline woe hit the virtual news stands of Expatica, I received an email from a boss at Vueling airlines apologising profusely for my unfortunate experience and....wait for it....offering a full refund voucher!

In another extraordinary twist, and in the time it takes for the average oil company to rack up a billion dollar profit (ie. no time at all) a man from the Iberbanda telecommunications company miraculously appeared at my door to install my wireless internet. The gawping fish-like expression on my face must have been a picture for the jump-suited engineer, who walked past me with a glint in his eyes as if to say: “What have you got to say for yourself NOW, you moaning minnie?”

Is all this just coincidence, or the power of Expatica? I would like to think it’s the latter. Is Spain (finally) being dragged into the arena of customer service? Or have companies, Spanish or otherwise, woken up to the fact that the internet is probably the most powerful maker or breaker of a business? After all, would early iPod users who claimed to have experienced poor battery performance, have managed to successfully air their grievances to makers Apple, without the extraordinary viral-like power of internet protest? Probably not.

Also, most savvy companies these days now employ someone to constantly monitor the internet, by using alerts on certain key words to notify the user of any articles being written about them. So any “Vueling” and “Iberbanda” stories flying around cyberspace would instantly pop up on their screens, for immediate reaction or counter-spin. 

It’s clear too that the very existence of a website like Expatica, has enabled those living in a country other than their place of birth, to more easily digest the ups and downs of living in España, whilst many who are still on the brink of taking the “that’s it, I’m packing it all in to move to Spain” plunge, can at least do so with far more knowledge than previous generations.

Either way, in such circumstances, I shall now hold my hands up and say “Vueling and Iberbanda, all is forgiven.” (You can now show this to your bosses as proof that all that expensive computer software was worth it in the end).

Incidentally, when the engineer had finished installing my wireless internet, I asked him if I could ring him if anything should malfunction with the connection?

He painstakingly explained that I could not ring him directly. I would have to speak to Iberbanda, who would then schedule a phone call with another contractor, who would then if necessary ring him to ring them to tell him when Iberbanda could ring me to meet him...(still with me?) 

Anyway, I was clearly pushing my luck too far and was after all more than happy not only to have a connection, but to have one that actually worked – right now that’s plenty good enough for me. Some changes are best done slowly methinks.

However, given my final thoughts in my original scribblings, it now seems we are due a magnificent, improvised, intelligent, thought-provoking, erudite, jaw-dropping, “I am moved to tears” type monologue from non-other than President George Bush.

One miracle too far?

[Copyright Expatica]

[May 2007]

Subject: Spain; customer service