I know I tend to rant a lot about customer service, but I think it's wicked important (to use a Massachusetts saying) to the success of any meeting or event. But then I got this phone call that had me scratching my head.
It was a followup call checking on the level of service I got about a month ago when my printer went kaput and I screamed for help. She asked me to rate the guy I spoke with on his timeliness, demeanor, etc., and I had to rate him as excellent. Except that my printer still doesn't work. "So, other than the fact that the original problem still exists, you'd say you're satisfied with the service?" she asked me. I had no idea how to answer that one.
I know that meeting planners often get complaints about things they can do nothing about—an attendee's flight was late; the spouse hates the color of the guest room; the person in the elevator had on so much perfume the attendee choked, etc. I even wrote an article about how to deal with whiners. But sometimes, it just isn't enough to be heard and dealt with politely. Sometimes, we just want our printers to work.
End of rant. Thanks for listening.