karen friedman

by karen friedman on September 10, 2024 Leave a Comment

When Appliances Die at the Worst Possible Times and How Companies can Benefit

Our air conditioner broke this week. It was a muggy Saturday night when we had friends visiting in the middle of a heat wave. It seems like appliances have an uncanny knack for dying at the worst possible times. Years back, our garbage disposal conked out hours before family arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. When our refrigerator dropped dead and the freezer transformed into a lukewarm pond, it was a holiday weekend, and we had a house full of company.

Why is it that appliances never seem to break down when you have free time and no commitments? My card playing friends who have answers to the world’s most pressing questions suggest that every appliance comes with a hidden timing chip programmed to detect moments of maximum inconvenience. The chip sends a signal to the appliance’s brain, triggering a meltdown at the most inopportune time.

But back to my air conditioner. We called our HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) company to come fix it and they came right out for an additional after-hours weekend service fee. Bad news. It could not be fixed and because my friends say these appliances detect maximum inconvenience, the appliances must have known that our warranty had just expired. We had to get both a new heating and air conditioning unit which cost a bunch of zeros, but parts had to be ordered and it would take a day or two.

So, with an already overheated 100-pound dog, our son and pregnant daughter-in-law staying for the weekend, we muddled through the heat with open windows and fans to circulate the sweltering air. Friends offered beds in their air-conditioned homes, but all of us declined. And I did a personal reality check reminding myself that most of the world doesn’t have air conditioning or fans and some don’t even have windows that open. This too would pass.

Two days later, it did or so I thought. A truckload of mechanics descended on the house to pull out the old system and put in a new one and once again the house was cool. Until about two in the morning that is. It seemed a little warm and the compressor sounded awfully loud which is when my husband noticed that the thermostat was going up, not down. We called and the repair people returned. Diagnosis: the new system wasn’t working either. They didn’t know what was wrong with it and they would have to order another one.

They apologized for the inconvenience and offered to temporarily install window units to give us some relief when we slept. They said they’d work on it as quickly as possible.

My friends seemed very concerned about our predicament and a few proposed that I give the HVAC company a ‘piece of my mind for screwing up.’ However, despite our inconvenience and perhaps an installation mistake on their end, the company did the right thing.

Through each step of the process, they called and communicated what was happening and the time frame in which we could expect things. They apologized and they offered a short-term solution until they could fix the problem. They acted quickly and took responsibility saying this was their issue when I worried there could be a bigger electrical problem. Companies that prioritize doing the right thing for customers is crucial for several reasons:

1. Building Trust

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful business relationship. When customers believe that a company consistently acts in their best interests, they are more likely to trust the company.

2. Transparency

Being open about business practices, and problem-solving approaches fosters trust. Customers who feel valued are more likely to return for future purchases.

3. Positive Public Image

Companies that consistently do right by their customers build a positive reputation, which can attract new customers. And customers are more likely to forgive occasional missteps if they believe the company is acting ethically.

And let’s face it: appliances have a tough life. The microwave is zapping leftovers multiple times a day, the dishwasher is handling our mess with little complaint, and the washing machine is in a constant battle with our smelly gym clothes. I understand why they sometimes crack under pressure.

Like me, on the verge of retirement, I wonder if appliances might also have a retirement plan, and they choose to retire at the moment of peak chaos to ensure they are missed the most. This way, their memory lives on as your family will forever reminisce about the time the washing machine decided to flood the laundry room on Christmas Eve.

While we may never know the true reasons behind these inconvenient appliance deaths, one thing is certain: they add a touch of unpredictability to our lives. The companies that recognize our anxiety, act with urgency, and prioritize our satisfaction are better positioned to build lasting relationships and customer trust.

The next time your refrigerator dies the night after a big grocery haul or your water heater gives out during a winter storm, just remember that you’re not alone. Embrace the chaos, laugh at the absurdity, and keep a good sense of humor handy.

by karen friedman on June 30, 2024 Leave a Comment

How digital communications has eroded good manners

The speed limit was 50 miles per hour. I was driving 52 miles per hour on a two-lane road that passed through a local community. There were two sets of double yellow lines in between the lanes which means you cannot drive on or over them to pass another driver. As I looked in my rear-view mirror, I saw the car behind me inching up on my bumper, as if she were about to hit me. I sped up just a little. So did she. Then she started honking at me. I realized she wanted me to go faster, but I was already over the speed limit and not about to speed up even more. So she blared her horn again and this time, illegally sped past me into the oncoming traffic lane, ignoring the double yellow lines.

I silently wondered what was wrong with her, but it’s not just her. So many people seem so angry and annoyed that they are willing to break rules, ignore laws and treat others with a total lack of respect. I understand many factors contribute to why people disregard rules. Economic stress, social injustice, psychological factors, cultural factors, personal grievances and more. However, I believe what we are witnessing is the dwindling of practicing good manners and common courtesy to others.

When I was growing up, my parents and teachers expected good manners and did not tolerate bad ones. Yet today, manners seem to be increasingly neglected. Phrases like “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” and “I’m sorry” were standard in everyday communication, reflecting a society that valued politeness and consideration for others. I don’t hear those polite phrases as much as I used to.

Perhaps the rise of digital communication has altered the way we interact. While the advent of digital communication has revolutionized the way and the speed in which we connect with each other, it has also brought about changes in our social behaviors.

Emails, texts, and social media are often impersonal. They lack tone and emotion and can be easily misunderstood. For example, several months ago, I sent a short email to a colleague suggesting she consider a different approach to solving a problem. She called to ask if I was upset with her. I wasn’t, but what I thought was a short constructive comment was completely misunderstood in an email and I should have called her instead of emailing. When we spoke by phone, she instantly understood what I was trying to communicate. Vocal tones can capture emotional nuances that emails and texts cannot.

While digital platforms encourage rapid response, the immediacy of texting and instant messaging can also lead to abrupt and sometimes insensitive exchanges. In voice-to- voice and face-to-face conversations, pauses and quiet listening are part of a respectful dialogue. Additionally, abbreviations and emojis which replace full sentences and nuanced language, can come across as dismissive or rude, especially in professional or more formal contexts.

Then there are our cell phones. How often have you been with someone who seems to ignore you in favor of their phone? They tell you they are listening to you, but don’t look at you because they are deeply engaged with their phone. I admit, I have been guilty of this too. Just yesterday, I ran into an acquaintance who was sitting next to me at a nail salon. As we started speaking, she never looked up from her phone. She was unable to make eye contact, observe facial expressions and non-verbal language that enhances communication and understanding each other. When she left, she said “it was great seeing you,” but she never really saw me. What I saw was someone who was rude and disrespectful. In other circumstances, her behavior may have even been hurtful.

In some situations, there is also reduced accountability. Anonymity offered by online platforms can embolden people to say things they might never say in person. When interacting online, people sometimes forget they are communicating with real people. That can result in a lack of empathy and disregard for the feelings of others.

I do suspect that younger generations who have grown up with digital communication may have different perceptions of what constitutes polite behavior. That can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts with older generations who value traditional manners. Addressing this requires effort from all involved: families, educational institutions, and workplaces. All have a responsibility to model good digital manners and set clear guidelines for respectful online behavior.

While the decline in manners is a complex issue with many contributing factors, it is something that can be changed. By prioritizing education and awareness, we can resume the practice of good manners and enhance the quality of our social interactions.

by karen friedman on May 31, 2024 Leave a Comment

What lost socks can teach you about effective communication

Like me, I’m sure your socks go missing. Two go into the dryer, but only one comes out. Where do they go? Currently, I have nine single unmatched socks in my sock drawer. Some have been there for years. I save them, hoping that one day their mates will return. I could blame it on the dog, but we don’t have a dog anymore. Trying to find these missing socks is like trying to find Waldo in the Finding Waldo children’s books. Where in the world are my socks?

This small domestic mystery actually highlights a much larger issue we all face: the importance of clear communication. Misplaced socks and lost messages share a common thread. When we don’t keep track of our interactions, much like our socks, crucial pieces can easily go missing.

According to a study commissioned by Samsung when they launched a new washing machine several years ago, Brits lose an average of 1.3 socks each month, which equals more than 15 lost socks every year. With the average Brit reportedly living to 81, scientists determined Brits lose 1,264 socks over their lifetime, costing them 2,528 pounds, which equals approximately $3,100 dollars. They concluded that about 84 million socks go missing in the UK each month.

Wanting to further understand this laundry mystery, I turned to the internet for help. I learned that during a wash cycle, socks can creep into the yawning abysses of the laundry drum. I looked. There are no socks in any abysses. I also discovered the heat and rotations can separate clothes, causing socks and small items to disappear into the wastewater hose. I can’t see into my wastewater hose, but I did look behind the hose. No socks. They are not under the bed, rolled up with other socks, in the wrong drawer, mixed up with the cleaning rags, or stuck in a shoe.

So, I asked my son, who is a creative thinker. He blamed it on the sock gnomes, smaller mythical creatures who can move through solid earth and steal socks to make your life inconvenient. Probably a long shot, but I have no better explanation.

Apparently, my curiosity about missing socks is shared with renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. In a book called The Nature of Space and Time, Hawking concluded that spontaneous black holes are responsible for their disappearance. Hmm. Perhaps my son’s theory isn’t too far off.

Maybe, just maybe, the unexplained missing sock mystery is somehow related to the Bermuda Triangle. For decades, just like my socks, ships, planes, and people have been sucked into this black hole, never to be seen again. There are dozens of theories about the disappearances, but like socks, no confirmed conclusions.

As I continue to research this daunting dilemma, I’ve discovered that colored socks make up the majority of missing socks. This actually makes sense to me. I don’t wear white socks, but my husband does. His socks never go missing or, since they’re all the same, he doesn’t notice. Perhaps I should start wearing whites.

Samsung’s work led them to develop a sock loss formula to help work out the probability of losing a sock in a single week by using statistical modeling software that involves a bunch of mathematical complications. I was never great in math, so my eyes glazed over when I looked at it.

Besides, this still doesn’t explain where my missing socks went.

Articles on the subject recommend attaching pairs of socks together with safety pins or sock clips to prevent them from disappearing. That sounds like too much trouble to me, though I guess it depends on how attached you are to certain socks. Other articles offer ways to repurpose single socks, such as using them for ice packs, dust rags, or covering golf club heads so they don’t get bumped or scratched when you are not playing.

I don’t want to repurpose my socks. I want to reunite them with their partners.

While this mystery continues to baffle me, I realize it has a lot to do with communication—or the lack thereof. Just like my missing socks, important messages and connections can get lost in the shuffle of daily life. Miscommunication can happen when messages slip through the cracks, much like how socks disappear in the laundry.

Clear communication, like keeping track of our socks, requires attention and care. Just as pairing socks before washing can prevent losses, ensuring we understand and convey messages properly can avoid misunderstandings. If we don’t pay attention, small items—whether socks or important conversations—can easily go missing.

I may never know where my socks go, but I think I’ve figured out a plausible way to find them. If I get rid of my single socks, their associates will return. It’s like losing a shoe or an earring. After waiting a while for the missing item to resurface, when it doesn’t, you assume it’s forever lost and discard it. Then, like magic, its match shows up.

If I do that, however, I’m right back where I started as an owner of a bunch of sad lone socks. Only this time, their matches will be gone forever.

So, let’s keep track of our socks and our conversations. Both are more valuable than we might realize, and losing either can lead to complications we’d rather avoid. Effective communication can prevent misunderstandings and lost connections, just as keeping an eye on our socks can prevent their mysterious disappearance.

by karen friedman on April 8, 2024 Leave a Comment

The Consequences of Neglecting Customer Complaints

We have been frequenting the same neighborhood pizza place I’ll call ‘Sam’s’ for about two decades. The food is great. The price is right. The service is always delivered with a friendly smile. Recently, our local eatery was sold to a family member. The menu is the same, so we ordered what we usually order, salads with grilled chicken.

As I started eating my salad, I commented to my husband that the chicken seemed undercooked. He didn’t notice, so we both continued to finish our meals. Hours later in the middle of the night, those meals came calling in the name of very unpleasant upset stomachs.

As the next day progressed and we both continued to feel ill, I called the restaurant and asked for the owner. I wasn’t looking for an apology or a refund. I simply wanted to let the establishment know that we may have been sickened by undercooked chicken so they could check into it to prevent anyone else from getting sick.

No sooner than I started to explain what happened, than the manager cut me off and started yelling.

“There is nothing wrong with my chicken! I will swear on my first born’s life!”

Trying to cut in and say I wasn’t saying anything was wrong with his chicken, he kept talking.

“You and your husband come to my restaurant right now and I will show you how I prepare the chicken.”

I said we believed he takes great care when preparing, but because we both ordered the same meal and we both got sick, it seemed coincidental, so perhaps he received a bad batch of chicken, or it just wasn’t cooked thoroughly.

He wasn’t interested and just kept yelling at me. I finally hung up.

Owners who ignore customer complaints risk damaging their reputation, losing customer trust, and missing out on opportunities for future business. Even though Sam’s is a popular spot that has been around for a very long time, it was the original owner who built a loyal following. Once word gets out that the new owner doesn’t appear to take customer complaints seriously, Sam’s could have a problem.

Unaddressed or unresolved complaints have always led to negative word-of-mouth, but in today’s connected world, disgruntled customers can quickly share their experiences on social media, review sites, forums or in articles like this one. If I tell ten people who tell ten people who tell ten more people, that can potentially deter hundreds from doing business with Sam’s.

If Sam’s owner had listened and expressed empathy or concern, I may have quickly forgotten about it, and he would have continued to earn our repeat business. Instead, the only repetition is negative-word-of-mouth regarding his unresponsiveness and argumentative demeanor. And it is unlikely we will return to his restaurant.

So even if the customer is not always right, what should a business do to regain a customer’s loyalty and trust? Here are 5 A’s to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction:

Active Listening: You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use those two ears to listen before opening your mouth to interrupt. Hearing the customers’ perspective conveys empathy, understanding and validates their feelings.
Acknowledge the Complaint: Promptly acknowledge the customer’s dissatisfaction and thank them for bringing it to your attention.
Apologize Sincerely: Apologize for the inconvenience or frustration the customer experienced. In Sam’s case, you don’t have to agree that the chicken may have been tainted or undercooked. Apologizing that they are upset shows you are taking responsibility.
Action Steps: Investigate the issue to determine if there is a problem and what you can do to resolve it. This may involve proactive steps to prevent similar problems in the future. Or it could involve updating procedures, providing additional staff training, or improving quality control measures.
Above and Beyond: Consider exceeding your customers’ expectations with a complimentary refund, replacement, or discount. Encourage them to communicate with you if they ever have a problem in the future.

Certainly, there are some situations where a business owner may not want to do further business with a customer. However, yelling at any customer only exacerbates the situation and makes the owner appear confrontational and unprofessional.

In any situation where rebuilding trust and loyalty with an unhappy customer is a priority, it’s essential to approach it with empathy and a sincere desire to resolve the issue. By taking these steps, businesses of any size can demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction so unhappy customers want to continue doing business with your company.