Swimming service slip up
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August 21, 2009, 9:46 am
Filed under: service design | Tags: empathy, form filling, people, service, swimming, touchpoint
Filed under: service design | Tags: empathy, form filling, people, service, swimming, touchpoint
Learning to swim is difficult no matter what age you are. I know a few adults who can’t swim and the truth is they are nervous and anxious about what to expect. A very good friend of mine, who just celebrated her 50th birthday, recently inquired about taking more swimming lessons to build her confidence in the water.
The member of staff at the sports centre handed her the form below: “We know it says ‘child’s name’ but just scribble that out and write your name”
My friend is now disheartened and embarrassed. Where is the sensitivity and empathy ? It may seem like a little insignificant detail to the service provider, but to the adults who have plucked up the courage to inquire it forces them back to square one.
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I entered a music theory exam recntly. When the joining blurb came through it mentioned that my parents should be ready to pick me up 40 minutes after the exam started just in case I finished early. I’m 43 so I decided not to drag my mum on a 70 mile drive ;-) Mind you, I found it more funny than disheartening.
Comment by dumbledad August 21, 2009 @ 10:10 amThanks dumbledad! I’m glad you could laugh about it :)and hope you passed!
I think it gives such a bad impression – shows the service providers don’t understand their audience and fail to empathise with the needs of the people using their service.
Comment by redjotter August 21, 2009 @ 10:19 amI once showed a group of people round a university – usual crowd of parents and kids. I was speaking to a woman and her son afterwards and only discovered later that she was the prospective student and he was just along for the ride! All my talk of the fantastic nightlife… looking back it might have been misinterpreted ;-)
Comment by Jonathan Baldwin August 21, 2009 @ 10:43 amHmmm an easy mistake to make Jonathan. But now you will always be sure to check :)
Comment by redjotter August 21, 2009 @ 12:04 pmUntil this year the SAAS on-line student application process wouldn’t recognise that some undergraduate students are capable of being householders and have no financial connection to their parents, it wasn’t geared up for mature students at all.
Comment by Dougie Kinnear August 21, 2009 @ 3:00 pm[...] Redjotter has seen an application for swimming lessons which asks for the child’s name. How is that supposed to make adults wanting lessons feel? [...]
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