Reading this analysis piece about possible customer service issues in our industry put me in mind of a couple of recent experiences.

I had contacted a printing company by telephone, in search of some information and assistance for an article.

Upon trying to locate the best person to speak to, I was told the firm had a ‘no names’ policy. Sigh. I asked if I could email instead and was told ‘I can’t give you his email address either’. At this point I felt like I was entering some sort of Kafka-esque predicament or a scene from Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

I was given a generic, general enquiries email address, so sent an email. No response. I sent another email. Nothing. Not even a ‘thanks but no thanks we’re not interested’.

Now. I know I’m not a ‘customer’ of this business and they have every right to choose who they do or don’t engage with. Perhaps Jo from PrintWeek is the last person on earth they wish to speak with. Even when my enquiry is entirely innocuous. Positive, even.

However, with my ‘Jo’s Help Line’ hat on I spend a lot of time pointing buyers in the direction of printers and other industry suppliers who will be able to help them. These requests can involve substantial amounts of print work being placed.

Am I likely to think about the oh-so-helpful people at “No Names Print” next time such a request comes in? No I am not.

My point being that reputation and company image can be built on more than a firm’s direct relationship with its customers. To use the trendy parlance, there’s a wider world of stakeholders and influencers.

Thankfully, I know of many, many more examples of printing companies that are a joy to deal with, and where I’m more than likely to be completing a phone call to said companies with a smile on my face.

I’m thinking of the firm where the managing director has recorded the (jolly and helpful) out of hours voicemail message, and the group where all emails sent to its generic ‘info’ email address land in the CEO’s inbox.

And by way of even happier contrast, the entries for this year’s Customer Service Team of the Year award in the PrintWeek Awards were universally uplifting and impressive.

The finalists are all inspiring in their own individual way; proof positive that we have some true exemplars in this industry: helpful, proactive, and fully engaged. And I know their names.