Please pass the praise

[blogcutter]

So this morning I got an e-mail with the following message:

Thank you for using Shoppers Drug Mart Online Prescription Management services. We would appreciate your feedback on your recent Pharmacy experience so that we can improve our service. Tell us how we did today using the link to our survey below.

I didn't click the link. The story behind it is: I ordered more meds when I needed them. Then yesterday I was notified by e-mail that they were ready for pickup. I picked them up, paid my $4.10 in cash (the standard prescription fee of $4.11 for seniors in Ontario, with a one-cent discount for paying cash, as we don't use pennies any more). I got home, opened the bag and they were exactly what I'd ordered.

So yes, I'd give them a satisfactory rating, for doing exactly what they were supposed to do.

Honestly, though, have we reached the point where we have to pile on the praise just because somebody (or a group of somebodies) acted in accordance with their job description?

There have of course been people in my life who have gone way above the call of duty. Usually they're the very people who are just trying to make a modest and ethical living and who are the least likely to send me annoying e-mails urging me to "Tell us how we did today!"(Ironically I've even gotten the "Tell us how we did today" e-mails when in fact I haven't yet received the goods or services I've ordered from them)

The people I consider worthy of kudos are typically those offering in-person services, either something I've asked for or the neighbour, or even casual bystander, who sees I'm in some sort of difficulty and steps in to ask if they can help.

Also in my e-mail this morning, sent last night at 10:46 PM, was the following message:

The BumblePuppy Press
Good things are heading your way!

But in fact, the good thing supposedly headed my way - in this case an eagerly-awaited copy of Blight, by Rachel A. Rosen - had actually already been brought to my door yesterday afternoon by a friendly young man with a small child in tow.

Then there was the Shaw guy who devoted a good portion of his Sunday afternoon to moving the satellite dish on our roof, out of the way of some overhanging branches of a tree from next door which had prevented us from getting proper satellite TV reception.

Those are just two recent examples.

So yes, there are some good people out there. But please, mega-conglomerates, quit cluttering up my electronic mailbox with your constant nagging at me to evaluate your performance on the slightest little task that was expected of you in the first place!!!

Comments

[dewline]

In case of Blight and Bumblepuppy Press, I also got the notice of impending delivery after the book had been delivered by someone I believe to have been the publisher himself, ed_rex if I understood my brother's text message correctly. People outracing their own e-mails in getting the job done are definitely welcome.

[sabotabby]

I have interacted with a lot of very nice people during an extremely trying time and I gotta point it out when I see it, yeah.

[extraarcha]

It's rather simple.

They're using these 'ratings' email responses to rate the person(s) we get the 'service' from, for promotion, pay raises and even retention.

It's a bad case of ?management? trying to justify their bloated salaries.
I never return these things unless the person is super good. We have to reward those who deserve it.

[blogcutter]

Actually if I knew they were using the responses for rating the employees, I would consider that somewhat legitimate. I mean, these are customer service people so customer satisfaction ought to be at least one of the elements their performance is evaluated on.

I'm more afraid that they might be using my personal information in nefarious ways, like to sell me ancillary products and services I don't want or need. Or trying to get me to divulge more about myself than they need to know. Or sharing that information with third parties (insurance companies, for example) without my knowledge or consent. Or that their survey results could be hacked. Or ... the possibilities are endless!

[extraarcha]

They're doing all those things you've mentioned, besides the rating for negative reasons those service people. And it's only going to get worse with AI being included, which it will be. Bet on it.

Management exists to justify their own existence and they're expected to be harsh on their underlings.
Like they said in the army (when i was in it) "If they're not carping and complaining, we're being too lax."

And "management" knows the old maxim: "No good deed goes unpunished." So they try to avoid good deeds.