Last week was National Customer Service week. Ironically, I had a doozy last week with a rental car. Three GPS devices I was given were defective or issued originally from airports and could not be programmed by local offices. They made me continue to run to various locations for replacements as my trip continued, adding three stops and several hours of time on my part. One office even suggested I might want to go to the major airport (42 miles from the location suggesting this and nowhere near my next destination) to have them program one for me. The fourth location, in a different state, solved it all. He had a functioning device and was the first to be fully knowledgeable about this new ‘airport only’ program. He offered to take the two non-functioning machines and return them for me while the others had said I should hold onto them and turn them in when returning the car. The lesson here is two-fold. This organization needs better training and communication practices throughout all locations, particularly when a ridiculous new process like this is rolled out, and Tim (the fourth location manager) needs to be promoted!

End of summer is here! Hope all your vacation adventures provided you with fun and a customer service experience you can give a 5-star rating to! This blog is on vacation for the next two weeks gearing up for a PR campaign to promote National Customer Service Week in October. Join the fun. Make plans now for your own version of how you will celebrate and honor the customers your organization serves, not only during the first week in October but beyond. WHY? Because You Get Paid to Smile and Serve is a whimsical fun gift to buy for your team!

So when a water delivery does not show up on the date it was scheduled for, you call them, correct? First the customer service rep spent two minutes repeatedly telling me that their system showed that it was delivered. I started to get a frustrated voice pitch that I really have to continue to justify to the rep on the other end that obviously it got delivered to a wrong address. “Let me just explain. If I was trying to scam you to receive a second delivery, I would have to keep one car outside to make room for a double order.” After that very rational explanation, she finally accepted that I must be right.

We were scheduled for Friday and I was calling Saturday am. She offered to deliver again but the first day she has availability is Tuesday. I asked if she could accommodate an earlier delivery on Monday justly deserving due to the mix-up being on their end. She said she could not. Her system would not let her. “How about a human override?” I ask. She explained that the truck is packed on Friday for Monday deliveries. Isn’t there always a silver lining? I am glad my order is coming Tuesday. Who wants water that has sat in a truck for two days in 85 degree heat?

In my experience, the lion’s share of phone encounters with a majority of companies is frustrating, ridiculously time-consuming and frequently ends in unsatisfactory results. However, it is an unexpected treat when the call is efficient, pleasant and “case is closed” by the time you end the call in a reasonable time frame.

Here is where I recently went wrong. As I was told during a call, a brief survey would follow at the end if I wanted to comment on the experience. I hung up when the introduction to the voice survey began, not wanting to take up any more of my time despite it being a great experience. Wrong move on my part. Excellent customer service has become more and more difficult to find so let’s all take the time to acknowledge a good experience if asked. I will from now on.

When is the last time you received a hand-written thank you from a purchase you made? And I quote: “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.  We appreciate your business and the confidence you have in our store and our line of vacuum cleaners. Thank you. Pat C.”

Now I know why they have been in business for over 40 years. They started out as a sewing machine retailer but the household demand dried up. They artfully re-invented themselves in the 1980’s to a high quality vacuum dealer while maintaining a sideline business of sewing machine repair. Sadly, I don’t get to see them often.  My first vacuum purchase from them is still going strong after thirty three years but I recently needed an additional machine for a rental home. Receiving the thank you note was a delightful surprise. Central vac systems and online buying possibilities could have been their demise. Why have they been able to survive? It is simple but it works every time. Friendly faces, quality products, great service, AND the extras you don’t expect–like thank you postcards!

All I could say was “Now that is what I am talking about!”. It was to myself but out loud and animated. I had the best experience that I have ever had at a fast food drive-thru. Here is what made it great. She opened with asking my name and called me by name frequently throughout our brief relationship. Remember, it is only a voice forming the courtship and she made me feel like it would surely lead to a long term marriage. I could hear her warmth and note her devotion to wanting to please and be efficient–just from her voice. The best part–I never had to ask her to repeat what she was saying! Alas, we broke up and went our separate ways but the young lady at the pickup window was also terrific. I give credit to the franchisee owner. He or she has to be instinctively mindful of two critical initiatives (or has already read my book WHY?): the importance of hiring friendly employees that enjoy working with the public coupled with training that emphasizes customer service. A match made in heaven!