Every now and again I am reminded how powerful a Company's commitment to customer service is to their business.
My trip last spring to the San Juan Islands in Washington State was a great reminder of this. On my way through Whidbey Island to a very important meeting with an agent, the alternator in my Volvo began to fail as I pulled into Oak Harbor. Still thirty miles from my destination in Coupeville, I quickly located a reputable auto-electric shop close by (I am able to say reputable thanks to the wonders of smart phones and Google Places. If you don't know about customer reviews on Google places...check it out. You may be surprised to find your own business reviewed there...hopefully they are good!). Barely making it to the repair shop, I found I would have to wait the weekend for the car to be repaired, as the part wasn't available until Monday morning.
Resigned to stay the weekend, I found an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office nearby and hitched a ride from the repairman to the office to find, again to my dismay, they didn't have a car available until six p.m. that evening. By this time, I had less than an hour to go before my meeting and I was in full panic mode as I explained my situation to the clerk behind the counter.
"We will get you to your appointment," the woman said confidently.
"But that's thirty miles away," I explained, annoyed she didn't seem to get the predicament. "And how will I get back?"
"It's not a problem," she reassured. "We'll drive you there and then pick you up this afternoon when you are done with your meetings and we will have your car ready by then."
And that is exactly what they did, getting me to my appointment with time to spare and then picking me up at the end of the day, returning to a waiting car in the parking lot when we pulled in. Do you think Enterprise made any money on the deal? Do the math: Two round trips from Oak Harbor to Coupeville at over an hour each for the driver and 120 miles, plus gas, etc. at their expense. All for a measely $35.00 rental!
On the surface, it certainly doesn't add up, however, if you look at the bigger picture, the wisdom of going above and beyond for the customer begins to make business sense. Consider my situation: I speak for a living and since the trip earlier this spring, I have told the story many times over to hundreds of people. What do you think their perception of Enterprise is after hearing my story? Do you think they are likely to give Enterprise a shot the next time they need a rental car? No question. What makes the situation even more profound is they didn't know me from the guy pumping gas in town. They didn't know I would give them a testimonial every chance I had. That is what makes what they do so special because they do it for all the customers. Now, that is customer service!
It reminded me of my days working through college selling shoes at Nordstrom. "You dance with the girl you brought," Chairman John Whitacre would persuade us when discussing customer service. "You give the customer outstanding service all the time. Not just when it is convenient." I soon learned customer service wasn't just something Nordstrom did it was the way they did business. Clearly Enterprise Rent-A-Car falls into this category with their commitment to outstanding service.
So how about your business? Is customer service something you do when it's convenient, or is it a way of doing business regardless of the situation? If the former, you are likely missing out on opportunities to have your customers promote your business. Or worse, you are losing customers and opportunities you don't even know about.
Make customer service how you do business, regardless of the situation and prepare for your business to break out of the pack
Rick P. Thomas is President of Activate Leadership, a leadership development consultancy in Washington State. He consults and speaks to organizations across the country, focusing on individual and organizational achievement.
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