As a certified Google Advertising Professional, I’ve been using Google AdWords for a long time. I’ve faced a bitter reality when I took Google Advertising Professionals exam for the first time. This exam was taken online and exam notes suggested that I could continue in case a problem occurred with my internet connection. Unfortunately I did encounter connection problems twice during the first exam. I couldn’t continue and postponed, thinking I could continue when I get home later in the evening.

However things didn’t turn out exactly as I hoped they would. Think about it.. (1) I came home (2) turned on my laptop (3) established my internet connection, (4)logged on to the relevant site and (5) boom! Test has been completed? I was confused. Immediately – after trying to figure out what went wrong, obviously- I reached Google officials via e-mail and while I was waiting for a reply I couldn’t help myself and wanted to talk to a Google professional through online chat. (Note: If you’re experiencing a problem with Google Adwords you can seek solutions to your problem by chatting online with specific experts within working hours – and by working hours I mean working hours of such professionals)

I clicked on “Would you like to chat online with a Google Professional” link and started to wait for someone who would help me overcome my frustration. Within seconds, expected person logged in and we started talking.. he took my Customer No. (this is due to security reasons, professionals keep records of the conversations and recognize you in subsequent conversations and provide better assistance since they become familiar to your problems)

The professional listened to me very carefully while I was making edgy comments and telling I couldn’t believe how such a thing could happen. I even remember making remarks about my trust in Google just shattering. She said: “lets try to figure out what we can do about your problem” Google has different departments dealing with different products and people dealing with my problem may be in a different departments. The respondent was different from those working in AdWords related areas but she wanted to assist me anyway. She suggested that she would write an e-mail and include me in recipients (in CC) She was so concerned and understanding.. I couldn’t utter a single negative word… while previous thoughts in my head such as she wouldn’t listen to my problem started to vanish. After all I’m not the only Google customer. She handled my problem as if I were the only Google customer!

A mere 2 hours later an e-mail appeared with its bold subject field just smiling at me. Voilà! The promised mail had arrived. Contents of which included a summary of all the matters we’ve spoken and she even added that I was a professional AdWords customer administering an account for a very long time where she requested their best efforts to immediately solve all of my problems. Well this is a new approach! This is the exact opposite approach taken by customer representatives working in major companies where they refuse to listen to you on grounds that your problem doesn’t fall under their “jurisdiction”. [Just trying to stress my antipathy]

What happens now? Yes! We wait for a second reply which should provide a palpable solution. After calming down my conscience kicked in.. I started to give credit to Google since taking the exam online and being able to continue at a later time would establish an environment for taking advantage of this convenience. The amazing thing is I was able to find a person who would listen to me and instead of brushing me off would actually try to find a solution by including me into the process. It’s kind of like sending a package and being able to monitor the stages it takes to reach the destination. Various shipping companies have integrated aforementioned monitoring systems into their websites.

In 1 or 2 days, the expected second e-mail arrived. They offered me to credit my account accounting to the original fee deposited for the first exam taken. Now this is important… Normally exam fees are not subject to refund but my kind representative’s suggestions, my account management history and their trust in my sincerity enabled such application. Well this is the second new approach in customer relations. Did Google just alter its customer policy to satisfy me, a single customer among millions?!? I guess they did! I immediately replied stating my gratitude and accepted their offer.

The real issue here is not whether I get a refund or any other compensation. The crucial point is; the way Google which is a major company – as you would all agree – dealt with my problems and provided assistance even after I addressed my concerns to a department which was not directly involved in AdWords. Think about it! In fact they were more concerned with the issue than I was. I guess a new generation customer relations policy is being applied here. What did Google earn after this? The answer shouldn’t come as a shock: Google having more customers which love AdWords even more, me sharing these series of events with you and even including this story into books (perhaps). For the aforementioned and all the reasons I just can’t think of right now… I prefer Google.

Serbay Arda Ayzit

Online Marketing Specialist

Google Advertising Professional