However, to my relief, Kraft Canada does offer a toll-free help-line (1-800-572-KRAFT). You may have noticed that there is one-too-many digits in that phone number. Hint: Don't dial it from a cell-phone and press 'SEND'. You will be frustrated over and over again as the lovely lady reminds you that, "You're call cannot be completed as dialed....Please hang up and try your call again....blah, blah, blahh". Apparently, Kraft is counting on the fact that you have a land-line and will dial from a home phone because the number is really 1-800-572-KRAF. I did not know this but when your home phone reaches the required number of digits, it automatically cuts off and starts completing your call......Huh, fancy that!
After making this stunning revelation and completing the Shake'n Bake process using the second plastic bag and the second bag of coating, I put my chicken in the oven and made the call to Kraft central. Directly above the phone number it says very plainly, "Satisfaction guaranteed". In my 'sad kid without an ice cream cone' funk, I decided to put this claim to the test. Having never used one of these corporate satisfaction numbers before, I wasn't sure what to expect. On an episode of the 'West Wing', President Bartlett calls the Butterball hotline to discuss the proper temperature at which to cook a turkey and the nice lady on the other end was extremely helpful, but that's just on TV right?
I dialed 1-800-537-KRAF and waited for the recording......'the Kraft Canada offices are closed and will reopen at....' It was almost 7pm MDT and I was sure that there wouldn't be a real-live person to take my call. I was wrong. Within a few rings, Virginia, an honest to goodness, head-set wearin' Kraft call centre employee, in a decidedly upbeat and authentically positive tone, thanked me for calling Kraft and asked me how she could help.
It is in situations like this that I am sometimes moved to tears. When you have the expectation of one thing and the pleasantly surprising, quite the opposite thing happens instead, it touches me.
Virginia was a true customer service professional and within minutes she had inquired as to the nature of the problem, apologized profusely for the chickeny mess on my floor and was taking my address to send me a coupon for another box of the Shake'n Bake of my choice.
It's not often that you experience great customer service these days, but thankfully, there are still people out there like Virginia. I'm not entirely sure what went on in her day before our paths crossed over the phone. Maybe she's raising three kids by herself on two jobs and a lot of hope. Maybe she lost a good friend recently. Maybe she battles with bouts of depression. Who knows? Quite the opposite could be true. But she made a choice when she pressed the button to take my call and that choice was to be kind, compassionate, helpful and empathetic......regardless of what else was going on in her life in that moment. And, to me, a guy with a ridiculous chicken problem, it was greatly appreciated and inspiring.
Truth #1 - It doesn't matter how busy or stressed you are, or what's going on in your life, there are no excuses for treating others badly. In every interaction with another human being you have a choice and an opportunity - connect, be compassionate and find kindness OR disconnect, be unavailable and give away a piece of what makes you human. Take a page out of Virginia's handbook. She seems to have it figured out quite nicely.
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