|The personal story was written by Carlos Pizaña, Director of Project Operations and Technology at Allbridge|
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Growing up, my mom was a beacon of support for our local community. Most banks weren’t familiar with Spanish-speaking individuals, but she could bridge the gap between them and their finances. With diligence and patience. Many didn’t know how to balance their own checkbooks. My mom would ask these clients to keep track of their receipts and bring them in so she could balance their checkbooks for them. At times we only had one vehicle growing up, and we had to pick my mom up for work on occasion. She would stay late at the bank, frequently helping these individuals balance their checkbooks. I could see the need for help in their eyes and tone; I’m sure my mom could also. However, when my mom was done, they showed only gratitude. Gratitude that she worked closely and knew how to communicate, an appreciation that at times she would stay late to help people when they needed it most, and that my mom would do all of this with a smile and without judgment.
Those clients kept their money in the bank because of the service and care they received.
Even now, my mom encounters people who fondly embrace her in appreciation of the kind support she gave them years ago. Despite needing no recognition for it, she cared enough to reach out and provide assistance when others needed it most – a truly selfless act we can all strive towards.
My dad worked for universities when I was a child and still does. Early in his career, he was a mentor for multicultural students, some of which were at the university from other countries outside the United States.
My father provided the same level of service and support he gave our family to those students.
He knew what it was like to feel alone and different and need guidance early in life. So he took his life experience and surrounded the students with a sense of family, community, and support to help guide them through their education. We had students frequently over at our house for dinner as he helped them decide what their following paper should be about, fill out the paperwork they may have needed clarification on, or just provide a home-cooked meal and surround them with love and laughter. This one time a student also came with my dad when I was in elementary school and taught my class how to do origami. Our family grew to love and support those students as if they were part of our family, and my dad still stays in contact with many students today. He cared about them as individuals and was deeply interested in their success and future. He spent his life knowing what love and support can do and used that in his everyday work to help students during a difficult times in their life.
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My wife recently started to have pains in her stomach. We both thought it was food poisoning, so we decided to give it a day in hopes it would pass. When we woke up, it hadn’t, so we headed to the ER. It was 8:30 am when we left and checked in to the ER. We had researched what it possibly could be and were sure it was her appendix. My wife and I never had surgery or anesthesia. We were scared, very scared. We sat together, holding hands, worried about what each interaction would entail and what this tremendous unknown experience would be. Then the hospital team went to work. The first person we encountered could tell we were nervous. She talked to my wife like she was a person and not data on a sheet. She did this by answering every question. She would end every answer with “do you have any more questions?” to ensure we didn’t have any lingering questions. Then the nurses came in. My wife sometimes gets nauseous, so they asked about her medical history and what causes it. They added specific medication to limit nausea to help my wife during this frightening time. A CT scan was ordered, and she was picked up quickly. My wife had never had one before and didn’t prefer small places. When she got to the scan, they walked her through each step, one by one, making sure my wife knew what to expect. They described what it would feel like so that when she experienced something new, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
We got the CT scans back. It was appendicitis. They explained the surgery, the process, why it was essential to act quickly, and what to expect next. It was 12:30 pm, and they said it would be 2 hours before we would go to surgery. The surgery team came and described the process and answered any questions or concerns. Within 30 minutes, they were there to take my wife to surgery. She met with the anesthesiologist, and they also walked through and explained the process. Keeping the human experience at the forefront of every interaction, they also made subtle jokes during this time to help calm her nerves. Then the surgeon came, was kind and gentle, and took the time to answer her questions before they started. The surgery was completed, and the appendix was out! The surgeon came to me in the waiting room. I’m sure he could tell I had been crying and worried. He smiled and told me exactly what had happened and that my wife was great and would be discharged that evening. He explained the aftercare, the importance of rest, why she should take each medicine, and what it did to help with recovery. He then introduced me to the person caring for my wife now. He said my wife was a little scared and anxious after waking up and thought seeing me would help. He took me back to the area, and I saw her for the first time. He was right, it helped, and he could go over discharge and aftercare information while we held hands, thankful that experience was over. By 4:30 pm, we were discharged and back home, starting the road to recovery.
We talked endlessly about our experience there and how everyone had the same level of love, care, and attention along the way. They listened to our fears and concerns and took the time to ensure we knew what to expect. It was a great feeling for me to know that even when I wasn’t with her, they cared for her the same way I would. The people made this experience but look at the timeline as well. They executed. In less than 24 hours, we had been diagnosed, had surgery, and were successfully discharged without a hiccup.
They didn’t have to compromise customer service for execution.
We in technology need to catch up on what is in support of the end devices. We care only about how they function and less about the people using the technology. We need to remember why some of this technology was created, to begin with, to help with the human experience. In hospitality technology, it’s not just that an AP is offline in a guest room; it may be a missed video call for a family staying in the room because of a lack of internet. It’s not just that a casting device is not functioning; the guest in the room cannot cast their favorite exercise series to the guest room tv to ensure they keep their daily workout routine. It’s not just that the audio doesn’t work in the meeting space before a presentation. Someone stayed up all night preparing for a presentation and needed audio to ensure the right message was sent. If we only think of hospitality technology in terms of devices and monitoring, we lose sight of our customers and their guests. When we travel, we expect to have the same experiences with technology as we do at home. Technology is so ingrained in our everyday activities that when it doesn’t work, it’s disappointing and doesn’t allow our clients and guests to meet their true potential. Behind each customer service phone call is an emotional journey. While it may seem like just another complaint about a technical issue, what really lies beneath the surface is so much more than that – a person seeking to stay connected with their family while they’re away from home and relying on technology to make this possible.
Each technical support phone call is an opportunity to connect with someone you would have never been in contact with otherwise.
When people need support from others, you answer that call to action with love, care, and support as if YOU were the one experiencing the issue. Our team is filled with people with similar stories. Past experiences serving them to serve other people. They want to connect and delight. They know that making something suitable for a client is excellent customer service and will fill them up with love. Our managed services team will be there for your team and guests.
