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There's nothing like great customer service to create a willingness to come back. We think about that aspect as business owners. I like the human aspect too - simply the fact that good customer service can not only boost a customer's loyalty factor - it can actually add a little bright spot in a human being's day. How often do we as business owners think about and value that? Here are two recent moments of superior customer service I experienced that caused bright spots in my day:
Zappos.com - I realized at noon on Labor Day that I didn't really have anything to wear to my big Savor Costa Mesa Mastermind Group cocktail party that was happening three nights later. I HATE to shop in person. I also HATE to pay rush fees on internet orders. Ugh. Resigning myself to one bad fate or another, I sat down at my computer and visited Zappos.com, thinking I'd order something, pay a rush fee to get it quickly, and then at least if I didn't like what I received, I wouldn't have to pay return shipping. But - their website stated that not only is shipping free for orders and returns, next-day shipping is standard - and still free! I placed my order at 1:27 pm. I figured "next day" meant "next day after they ship" and they might not ship for a couple of days. Oh well, I thought - I'll place the order and if it arrives in time - great - and if not, I'll have to go shopping on foot on Wednesday.
I received my order the next day at 7 pm! What the heck kind of service is that? Stellar!
Verizon - I've been texting lots more than I used to, after realizing that it's often the mode of choice for my daughters and some of their friends who keep in touch with me. Suddenly I received a text message from Verizon saying I was headed toward an overage - and extra fees. I called Verizon, learned that I'd gone over my limit by 100+ messages, which would put another $20+ on my bill that month, and then was offered a retroactive increase in my text message allowance for just $2 a month additional. Of course! I actually had a chuckle with the Verizon rep about my new "young" habits - a moment of levity that was something of a miracle after the multiple moments of frustration and rage I'd felt over they years because of problems with cell phone service (with various providers). Verizon actually turned a little monitoring and advance notice into an opportunity to sell me more - yet make me happy as I willingly agreed to sign up for a permanent increase in monthly fees. My own usage persuaded me that the new charge was a good buy. Brilliant!
Nothing beats great customer service, and great customer service makes the best PR.
Ann Baker is CEO of Publicity Pros, and creator of the small-business publicity building services PR-123, SocialMedia-123, and WebTraffic-123. She is a Savor Mastermind Leader for Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Costa Mesa in Southern California. She can be reached at Ann@PublicityPros.net.
