Problems?…. Get the kettle on!

Thursday November 14, 2019

Most of
us can be proud of our generation tag. Baby Boomers got to see all the good
bands. Generation X raved the night away in a muddy field. Generation Y gave us
much of our technology. So why does journalist India Knight describe Generation
Z as “Generation Mummy’s Little Sausage”?

Harsh
judgement on an entire generation and as ever, I suspect a small minority is
responsible. Mostly Generation Z are perfectly sensible and self-assured. But
it is the expectations of the minority that dominate discussion among those of
us in the service and retail sectors.

Leaseholder
and consumer rights are enshrined in law and like any responsible business we
have a complaints structure. This comes in three phases. One, get the kettle on
and we sit down with a cup of tea and resolve the issue. If that does not work,
the matter is addressed at Director level (sit down with a cup of Lavazza
coffee). The next level escalates the issue to the Property Ombudsman who will
deliver impartial judgement.

We’re
rightly proud of our ability to avoid escalation beyond the cup of tea stage.
But we have found a change in the nature of complaints. We operate an extended
hours service for emergencies. The smell of gas, a burst water pipe or
structural damage to the property can all fairly be described as an emergency.

A
lightbulb popping or the internet going on the blink is an issue we will
address, but not at 3.00am. The 3.00am internet issue happened recently and
when we advised we would be out the next day, led to a full-on footy stamp on
social media. Apparently, we are Attila the Hun on a bad hair day.

The
answer to this emerging issue is not to unfairly lambast an entire generation.
The answer lies in communication and outlining precisely what our customer care
package can reasonably be expected to offer. In that way, we can manage
customer expectations and any issues can be resolved over a nice cup of tea.
Common sense and the threat of good Italian coffee will usually be enough to
ensure that both sides of a dispute can walk away satisfied.