WORLD CLASS CLIENT SERVICE EXCELLENCE OF A HIGH ORDER FROM NATALIE LINES OF THE DISCOVERY CLIENT CONTACT CENTER, QUABERGHA / PORT ELAIZABETH / COEGA AREA

I am posting this review to acknowledge truly world class service excellence of a high order that I recently received from Natalie Lines of the Discovery Contact Centre in the Eastern Cape.

As a Johannesburg resident and member of Discovery Health for many years, I recently underwent a minor op in my mouth at a hospital in Johannesburg. The op was performed in theater under full anestheatic and all costs were “In Hospital” costs, to be paid from my Discovery "Hospital Account."

When I received my final Discovery account, I discovered that one cost of about R 800.00 that was for services performed while I was “In Hospital,” was incorrectly charged to my Discovery savings account, when the cost should have been charged to my “In Hospital” account.

I called the Discovery national number and was connected to Natalie Lines, who has delivered nothing less that world class customer service excellence of a high order.

I also do not say this easily as a semi-retired corporate executive of many years in the local and international corporate sector.

The point is that from the moment Natalie took my first call, she was warm, friendly, attentive and professional.

After explaining my situation to her, she undertook to resolve the issue and informed me that it would take a week or so. She also promised to call me and keep me informed about progress.

My personal experience of call centers as an ordinary consumer, like many others who have spoken to over the years, is that they are generally shocking and not liked by consumers.

Just as many other consumers do, I hate call centers, because in my experience, some 98% of the time and ever since call centers came into existence, if it’s i) not getting caught in extremely frustrating looping telephone messages that keep the caller as far from real human beings as possible, when all I as the customer need to do is talk to somebody, or worse ii), just after explaining a situation, the call is suddenly terminated at the call center after I have carefully explained what I needed to explain, which results in me having to call in again and start all over again, or even worse iii), when operators undertake to come back to me as a client, but simply do not, thereby forcing me to have to call in again, only to go through the same torrid and horrible process again, with the issue remaining unresolved.

This has happened to me over and over again, including with big local well-known brands too!

Discovery is most fortunate as a company and a brand to have somebody like Natalie Lines on their team. Natalie was totally different to what I have described in the previous two paragraphs.

WHAT HAPPENED? After receiving my Discovery final account and seeing the incorrect charge, I called the Discovery national number about two weeks ago.

I was connected to Natalie Lines and during this first call, I explained my situation to a very attentive, warm and well-spoken Natalie. She undertook to look into the matter and promised to revert back to me a few days later.

A few days later my phone rang.

To my great surprise, it was Natalie, who once again in a very warm and professional manner, explained that the situation was not yet resolved, and that it had been escalated. She also informed me that she expected an answer soon and that she will again call me to update me on progress.

I was quite taken aback by her follow-through, which quite frankly, I was not expecting.

What finally blew my mind was when on this past Saturday morning (23 Oct 2021), my phone rang at about 08h30.

It was Natalie, bright and breezy, who again in a warm and most pleasant manner, informed me that i) my case has been resolved, that ii) the incorrect charges have been moved to my “In Hospital” account and iii) that my savings account has been credited accordingly.

This blew my mind. Not only had Natalie followed through again as she had promised. She called me on a Saturday morning and, the issue was resolved and closed!! And to top it all, my matter was fully resolved with me only making one call to Discovery, being my first call to Natalie. I never had to follow up once!

WOW!! Client service does not get better than that. It was in fact quite unbelievable, because client service of this nature sadly and generally is very hard to find in South Africa. It is very few and far between.

As an ordinary consumer, I had never in my life before experienced this level of service from a call center in South Africa. This was customer service excellence of the highest order. As I stated before, it simply does not get better than this.

What Natalie did also suggests to me that the training she has received and receives is great. Her approach and successful conclusion of this matter also suggests that she is inspired and enabled by her leadership and management to perform at this level.

What Natalie has also done is cause me to lift my personal consumer affinity to the Discovery brand to a whole new level - my relationship with the Discovery brand has been enhanced.

In my mind, Natalie has actually not only gone an extra mile. She has a gone a few few extra miles – by calling me on a Saturday morning rather than waiting for Monday.

More I cannot say expect to say "Well done and thank you Natalie. Also, well done to Discovery through what Natalie has done."

May there be many lessons in this for those companies and brands who are not performing at this level.

TWF Johannesburg