Blog

Alert readers of my last two posts have probably guessed what this one is about.

The control/responsibility matrix (click to enlarge)

People make choices about their preferences for control and for taking responsibility. When we combine those choices, we end up with a simple matrix.

In the top right is an ideal combination. Someone with control and authority who also takes responsibility when things go wrong. This creates a useful feedback loop, because they can actually do something about the problems they caused.

In the bottom right is a disaster waiting to happen. This is brittle megalomaniac, Robert Moses, the builder, who spent nearly a century paving New York while neglecting housing and other social justice issues, but never took responsibility for any of the effects of his work. People who grab control and avoid responsibility are often easily identified because they spend a lot of time whining.

In the top left corner is someone who truly cares. They bring huge empathy to the situation, and they help people feel seen. Alas, because they don’t have power (either because it’s been denied to them or because they avoid it), their willingness to take responsibility is sort of hollow. This is one reason that frontline workers that are required to exert emotional labor and empathy on the job so often burn out.

And finally, in most situations, most people are in the bottom left. The system pushes us to be cogs, to accept what’s given in exchange for being let off the hook and not being held responsible for what happens next.

In many situations, we have the freedom to choose. We can choose a quadrant or we can choose not to participate. And if we’re lucky or care enough, we can choose who to vote for, who to work for and where we’re headed.

Hi there, I’m usually very successful in communicating with customer service when there is a problem and getting it resolved fairly. I’d like to think that I know when I am in the wrong or when the business is, I could find many friends who’d back me up on this statement. So I’m a bit baffled at how Walmart not only closed my business walmart.com account, but also my personal account with an attempt to get a replacement TV due to delivery damage, not once, but two times. This is how the story goes.. (TV #1) In November I was making use of the Black Friday sales I had ordered my first TV with my business account as I needed to replace a TV at my business. It arrived with a small hole (see below), but I accepted it to inspect it hoping it was a just a box issue. Not only did this box look like it went thru some rough times it had dirt on it every where. I even needed to clean my carpet where I placed it inside. Unfortunately, after opening it, I had discovered the screen was cracked and damaged (see below). I received a return label and sent it back for a refund as I was told I could not exchange it. I would have preferred just doing an exchange, but it was not an option I was told. ​ TV #1 Hole in box. TV #1 :Verified cracked screen ​ (TV #2) After waiting a couple of weeks for the return process to complete and after receiving my money back, I had ordered another TV in December as directed by Walmart to resolve the issue. I waited a few more weeks for delivery, which was January 5th. And low and behold the box is in even worse condition. It was still dirty, but part of the bottom was literally missing on the corner of the box (see below). This time I simply rejected the delivery because it was time consuming to get a label and have someone wait for the pickup truck the last time. ​ TV #2 : Damaged on shipping truck. Package was rejected. Here is where the story get’s interesting and weird, and where they cancelled both of my accounts (business and personal). The TV was returned, and I called Walmart.com explaining my extreme frustration of waiting a few months for a TV. I also explained that the delivery company had managed to damage two TV’s in a row. I had asked if there was anything that could be done to speed up the replacement this time. I had explained that I rejected the package and it was on the way back. After waiting on the phone for a considerable amount of time I was disconnected while listening to hold music. I then ran out of time and decided to try another day. The time time that I could call them back I tried to login to my business account to get the order information and it said it was closed. I called Walmart back and asked what had happened, they couldn’t explain and said I would get a call in 48 hours. I did not get that call they promised. So I called back. They said that my return violated their terms and use and they closed my account. I asked for a supervisor, they said they would open it in 48 hours. They did not. Through all of this I’m guessing I have made over 20-25 calls into Walmart. While speaking to either representatives or supervisors, they stated that my account was closed and will remained closed. Other times I spoke with them they said that it will be opened up in 48 hours. Except it has never been opened up after waiting that time they stated. I did also verify it was not business hours, but actually 48 hours from the time of the phone conversation. Many times these calls just got disconnected while being on hold. I have been firm on my calls, but not yelling/arguing, I assured the representative that it wasn’t their fault but I disappointed with the situation, not them specifically. Right now I’m stuck in a loop. They have TV #2 back that I rejected on January 5th, but I still haven’t even been refunded the thousands of dollars this TV costs. Some Walmart reps said I will be refunded I just need to wait a number of weeks others say I will not be refunded, but the track record has not always been truthful so I don’t know what to expect. I started a dispute with my credit card company but it takes months to process. So my business account is closed. I can’t use that. That is very frustrating. But now now I’m even more shocked at what happened next. Last night I went on to my personal account to order some home supplies and goods, but Walmart.com immediately cancelled order and stated the following… (Personal Order) Order date: Fri, Jan 21, 2022 Cancellation due to returns violation Hi ######, After a careful review of your account, we’ve noticed a series of returns violations, described in our Terms of Use. For this reason, we had to cancel your order ######. Please know you weren’t charged for this order. Any temporary holds will be removed within 10 business days, in accordance with your bank’s policy. While future online orders from this account will also be canceled, you’re always welcome to shop in store. Sincerely, Team Walmart Terms of Use URL : Link Keep in mind this is an entirely different account, my personal account. I’m guessing they cross refenced some information like my phone number and closed my personal account too. As of this moment…. I can’t even order my prescriptions because of ordering a TV that arrived damaged where I attempted to get a working replacement. I’m being treated like a thief and all I wanted was a TV to arrive not damaged in shipping. How can a Walmart rep have this much power to close both of my accounts and cause the service team not to be able to open it? Right now I’m stuck. I’m looking for the process of getting my accounts opened and usable again. I have tried the main number, asked for managers and supervisor with nothing but a promise in 48 hours I’ll get call back saying it will be resolved, but nothing happens. Then I call back and find out it must remain closed. So different people, different results. I have not tried in store as I am guessing they will say they do not handle online orders, but it’s my next thought. Any advice, thoughts or comments? What does a person need to do here to get this resolved?
submitted by /u/biohazard2k [link] [comments]

When things go wrong, is your instinct to hide in a corner and hope you won’t get noticed–or to lean into the situation and make it clear that this one is on you?

“I’ve got this,” is a phrase that some people will go out of their way to avoid saying. At work, where it’s incredibly valuable, or in personal relationships, where it creates deep connection.

The movies are filled with heroes who take responsibility. Organizations are miserly when it comes to handing out authority, but most of them are eager to pay attention (and give respect) to anyone who is willing to take responsibility.

Like our control preference, responsibility is a learned skill. You might be born with an instinct for it, but mostly it’s something we’re taught or choose to learn.

Sadly, this is a line that’s missing from every resume I’ve ever seen. It seems to be that a bias toward taking responsibility is one of the most important things to look for when hiring an employee, finding a doctor or building a team.

[Part 2 of 3]

Would you rather write the script, read the script, watch the movie or write the review?

When someone commutes by train, they’re giving up control over the journey. On one hand, that means that they can’t actively impact how fast the train arrives. On the other hand, it means that they don’t have to be fully present and in command of all the decisions involved.

There’s a huge diversity of control preference, and it varies across the many areas of our lives. Perhaps you need to be in control over your work, but have no interest in controlling what you eat for dinner–or vice versa.

I remember a restaurant in the Bronx where the waiter would ask you one or two questions about which food you liked, and then walk away and bring you back a series of dishes that you didn’t expect or choose. Some people really enjoy this, others are frustrated by the lack of control it requires.

While it may be that each of us has an inherent bias away or toward control, it’s pretty clear that it is also a skill that can be learned, and that different industries allocate control to people as part of their hierarchies. It’s also true that different cultures have evolved to allocate and teach control preference in different ways. Sometimes it’s based on gender and caste, but there are also cultural mores that have been fueled by industry, the patriarchy and governance.

One of the things we certainly have control over is deciding whether we’ll seek to spend our days in control or not. We might have make sacrifices along the way, but the feeling is up to us.

[part 1 of a series]

Only 14% of organizations have achieved a 360-degree view of the customer, according to Gartner’s latest research. However, 82% of respondents said they still aspire to attain this goal in a Gartner survey of 402 marketing, IT and other enterprise leaders responsible for customer data initiatives from May through July 2021. This short research review…
The post Gartner’s research: only 14% of organizations achieved a 360-degree view of their customer appeared first on Customer Experience Magazine.