Customer Satisfaction.

Not too long ago, I blogged about my displeasure with the dynamics of customer service in the Philippines. While the post was brought upon by a not so happy Starbucks experience, it was not just that particular company that has failed to provide quality customer service in my personal experience. I ended that post with a "so what" and cynical tone, thinking, based on past situations, that nothing would happen anyway even if I complained.

To my surprise, not 24 hours later I received an email from Mr. Carlo Lopez, Operations Service Manager of Rustan Coffee Corporation apologizing for the incident. What I appreciated about the letter was that it was not just an off-handed apology on the part of the corporate giants I was ranting about, but that they were not just seeking feedback to improve their services, but that there were steps being undertaken to make change happen.

In my letter I told Mr. Lopez that I felt that indeed, customer satisfaction is valued by their company. I said this because they made contact even without me filing any formal complaint to them directly, unlike in the past where I have even spoken to managers who offer nothing but a complaint form then no follow up.

Today, I received a pleasant surprise in my snail mail mailbox. As a token of appreciation for my feedback, Rustan Coffee Corporation sent me two complementary coupons :-) Although I was offered this in the initial email, I did not expect it anymore because the communication was exchanged quite some time ago, so I assumed it was once again one of those things that slip through the crack. Second point proven wrong!

In the enclosed letter, Mr. Lopez also assured me that the feedback I gave was forwarded to the District Managers to be able to ensure that better service is offered to its patrons in the future. Because of this I have a new take on the term "customer service". With or without the free coupons, I am glad to see that I, a simple customer, still matters to this particular so-called corporate giant.