This post is being written after an experience in my family that could have been so much different had the service we received been better. I know we all try to give great customer service, and sometimes we will miss the mark due to circumstances beyond our control, or to the fact that we are human and will sometimes make mistakes. However, our goal should always be to give service above and beyond the customer’s expectations.
Our situation started when my husband and son began their drive home from Alabama after having been there 3 weeks helping my in-laws with tasks around their home, which they do each year. They made it as far as West Texas when they broke down in what my husband called “the middle of nowhere.” The car wouldn’t go any faster than 15 miles an hour and couldn’t make it up an incline. He limped into the local town and was told they were too busy to help until the following week. This was a Thursday. My husband can be pretty handy with repairs, so he thought he’d try replacing some things to see if that would help (air and oil filter, etc). Unfortunately that wasn’t the answer. The mechanic thought it might be the computer, and it turned out there was a vehicle on their lot with a similar make/model vehicle that used the same type battery. They originally told my husband they’d put it in our car to see if that was the problem, but then decided they didn’t want to do that. They told my husband to order the part (and since this was now Saturday, the local auto supply stores were closed. He found one online located in Houston and called first thing Monday morning.
Because my son had to be back by the weekend as his hell week for football began on Monday, he was put on the Greyhound bus. My husband asked the supplier of the computer if they would ship it by the Greyhound bus so he’d get it early morning Tuesday (2am), could replace it, and hopefully be on his way home. He expressed how important it was to be home on Tuesday as my daughter returned that day from a 9 week Zambia trip, and we had to leave the next day to take her to Northern CA to drop her off on her college campus as her check-in date and start of hell week was Thursday at noon and we had a 600 mile trip that had to begin on Wednesday. The business owner said he would not put it on the bus, but he said the shipment should be there by Tuesday through the post office. Tuesday came and went. Wednesday came and went. The shipper made an error on the address and my husband had to drive to the post office (in a barely working car) to pick up the package. Turns out the repair shop was wrong and this was not the defective part. 3 more days wasted.
Of course by Tuesday, we knew he wasn’t going to make it home in time to take Rebecca to school. Now she and I had to figure out how we’d get what she needed up to school in her small 2 person (no back seat and small trunk) car. She packed the bare essentials, we stuffed her car, and off we went. Because we usually take 2 cars, and come home in 1, my husband not being able to go meant I had to find a way home. With her schedule jammed from noon until 8pm (dorm move in, team meeting, first soccer practice and team dinner) there was no way she could drive me to Sacramento (a 2 1/2 hour drive each way) to catch a more reasonable flight than leaving Redding. Since the bus had a stop in Redding, that became my option. With her schedule and my son’s availability in mind (with his 2 times a day football practices), the only option that worked was to leave at 11:40 pm and arrive in LA the next day at 12:30pm. It was a long and exhausting ride.
All told, we had lots of unnecessary expenses that were incurred because the customer service we received was less than desirable. Had the mechanic taken the time the first day to properly diagnose the problem, and if the parts supplier would have shipped it on the bus to guarantee delivery, he would have had it fixed days earlier, and would have most likely been able to go with us on the trip North. We wouldn’t have had to pay a week’s worth of hotel stays, multiple part purchases, and two bus tickets.
So why do I tell you this story? It’s not so you’ll feel sorry for our situation, but to point out how one different behavior by each of the two businesses could have had a major impact on our perception of the service we received. By seeing that in this story, hopefully you’ll look at the service you provide to your customers and will try to give the best service you possibly can to them so they can rave about you to those they know. Word of mouth has a huge impact on your profitability. Do the best you can, and we’ll make every effort to do our very best too!
Let’s make our customers happy by going above and beyond their expectations!
Candy
