Above & Beyond: Customer Service
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Maya Angelou -
A month ago, I purchased a Poppin office set that included three luxe gel pens. Initially, I was very impressed because not only did those pens write well, but they were cute, too . . . until the ink started to skip after only a few uses. Because they were so cute, I decided to contact Poppin's customer service.
In today's mail, not only did Poppin send me six ink refills for free, but they also included a very nice handwritten note AND a notebook to enjoy. Wow. Now that's customer service!
It's important to go beyond just resolving a customer's bad experience.
The New Gold Standard by Joseph Michelli explores how the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has set the bar for creating memorable customer experiences. Michelli discusses the need to not just fix a bad customer experience but to go above and beyond. That's exactly what Poppin did, and guest what . . . I will remember how they made me feel by not only sending new ink refills but including an expected gift as well.
Another company with amazing customer service is Vistaprint.com. I've made dozens of orders with them not only because of the value and quality of their products, but their customer service is top notch. If I ever have an issue, I know I can talk to a super friendly customer service representative who is empowered to resolve the issue with no questions asked. Because of this, I recommend them to all of my church communication friends.
On the flip side, I also remember horrible customer service experiences. A long time ago, I returned a pair of jeans to the Express when a hole appeared after only two uses. The sales person interrogated me with a million questions and treated me terribly. She eventually gave me a refund, but I felt six inches tall as I walked past other customers staring at me as I left the store. Even though that happened 15 years ago, I won't go back because of the way they made me feel.
What does your church or business do when a customer has a bad experience? Think about how your actions make them feel.