Wow! Can Instant Feedback Help Save a Life?

As a result of OwnerListens feedback that alerted a business owner to unacceptable behavior, a person was terminated this week. This is not the first time this has happened. There have been occasions in the past when employees lost their jobs. In all those cases, the complaints were about unprofessionalism or lack integrity. This time was different.

Here’s how it went down:
3/16/2014
2 pm The customer complains about a driver who drove dangerously and put the passengers at risk. The description was quite scary for us to read.

2:30 pm Less than 30 minutes later, the owner responds with a few more questions about the incidents.

6:20 pm Within a few hours, the customer provides more details.

10:20 pm The owner responds with the initial actions taken: driver suspension pending hearing.

3/17/2014
Hearing is held. Driver is terminated.

3/18/2014
Owner updates the customer that the driver has been let go.

How incredible is the age that we live in when customers can quickly and easily access management? If it weren’t a quick and easy process, we don’t know if the customer would have made the effort. That’s why it’s imperative that we make it frictionless for customers to access businesses: fast, mobile friendly and privacy protected.

The ubiquity of mobile phones makes every customer a quality inspector. In the past customers have alerted owners to employees who were closing shop early and pocketing wages, to discrepancies between cash prices and credit prices (the employee was skimming), and to a clerk who was abusive to a disabled person, to name a few. However, this is the first time a customer has potentially prevented someone else from getting physically injured or killed.

Kudos to this customer for taking the time to speak up. Whoever you are, you just made all of us a bit safer. Thank You!

Kudos to this owner for responding quickly, following procedures and then following up the customer. This is how it’s done.

And, it’s a great feeling to have played a small part in it.

Photo Credit: Hans J. Hansen via Compfight cc

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