I went for the more expensive vendor, just because they treated me me well.
I needed to get a microphone. Maybe not ‘need’, you might call it ‘want’; ‘cause, why can’t you just record with what you already have. Well, I had done that and now I was ready to get a microphone.
So, there I was, searching for vendors. I checked multiple stores in Ibadan that sell microphones, but I couldn’t find what I wanted.
Then I succumbed to online vendors. I saw two of them that had exactly . Should I put the prices?
Well, one sold at 160k and the other sold the same mic at 185k. You can guess as much, I jumped for the one of 160k.
I got their numbers, checked their website, called them, texted them as well. I probed with questions on how they deliver, the compatibility of the mic with my device, the colors and other things. I was so ready to pay, I asked for the details they would need from me as well as their payment details.
Then I was getting frustrated, all my questions were met with incoherent and stalled responses. In my desperation, I called again. "Abi, am I not the one that wants to give you my money. I’m not the one that wants customers”, I thought to myself. They picked the call and said I should text them, I told them I already did, they then told me they would send me the details on WhatsApp.
Already frustrated and discouraged, in fact they were already looking shady. I gave up and went to the more expensive vendor. It was more expensive yes, but I was more than happy to give them my money.
Their response was fast, they were calm and they were fun and I proceeded with my purchase.
Fast is better than slow always and fast does not mean you should be whack. You can be good and fast.
Here’s to another studio that were fast, they had good customer care but lacked expertise…
On quality and experimenting with at work, I was told to survey studios where we could shoot our videos, as well get good video editors.
Again, I was met with two studios. One that used the touch light of their phones to show me their studio and the other that went the extra mile to provide electricity so I could get a proper view of the studio.
You guessed right, I went for the latter. I loved the customer service.
Now it was time for the recording. I played my part. We agreed on a contract that they were going to do the editing for our company for that shoot.
They did the video editing fast, I loved it. But guysss…quality 😭😭😭😭. I could do a better video editing. I iterated 101 times to them what I wanted, but it was to no avail. Even for video editing, it was just some AI slop.
So why these stories?
These experiences gave me a different outlook on how I also took my job and what’s also expected from me at work.
Developer relations is front facing with developers, these developers would want a good “developer” service and response. The term used in engineering is called “”. I should prioritize the experience when developers use our tools; I should not dull on speed; and I should ensure I put out a quality work.
There’s a saying “people might not remember what you said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel”. I also see this as customer service.
Speed is not making unreasonable deadlines and not meeting up. Speed is keeping to when you say you'd deliver. Always make sure your work is done on time and done well. Rule of thumb: if you can do it by Wednesday always say Friday.
You can’t be fast at something you are bad at.
Expertise is delivering what you say you would deliver at the quality bar that’s expected. The best way to get your job noticed is to be very, very good at your job. And the best way to be good at your job is to be totally dedicated to doing the job and ignoring all the rest.
The only way to do something fast is by doing it lots of times. Do it more!
As you do it more, as long as you’re doing it deliberately, you’ll get better. Eventually you’ll be both fast and good.
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These are not things I’ve perfected, I’m honestly just everyday.
So, I’ll keep my mind on the task at hand, be very good at my job and not get distracted, so should you.
Bella ciao.
PS: I’d like to hear your own story on customer service, speed or expertise.
PSS: Do you know you can highlight on sentences that resonated with you and share. And yes, I'd love that you do share.
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