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February 17, 2009, better known as the date that millions of American men are using as strong evidence to their wives that a new 50-inch, big-screen, flat-panel, high-definition, LCD television is a definite necessity.
My father-in-law, Rod, is one of the millions who has successfully convinced his wife they need a new TV. Rod is a man who likes to have the latest and greatest in technology, but not before he does his research. After spending countless hours on the internet, he settled on the Samsung LN-T5281F. The only part of that model number that matters is “52″ as in 52 inches of luxuroius high-definition color.
Now Samsung was one of the first companies to come out with HD TVs. That means that just about everybody sells them. My father-in-law started at one of the usual suspects, Best Buy. It was a little more expensive there than he wanted to pay. That’s when he checked out a small mom-and-pop TV shop called Mel Quale’s Electronics. This place is still run by the owner, and it has been since Lyndon Johnson was president and TVs where huge pieces of furniture where when you turned them off the picture got smaller and smaller until it disappeared.
Quale’s price was better than at Best Buy, but that’s not what swayed Rod. The salesman said their was one other 52 inch TV that Rod might like better. The salesman backed up his claim with stats, which Rod loves. Only problem was the salesman didn’t have the Samsung LN-T5281F in stock. He offered to order it, with no obligation. He said to Rod, “I’ll even set it up for you right here in the store. We’ll put it side by side with this other TV, so you can decide which you like better. If it turns out you don’t like the Samsung, that’s okay. I’m sure I can sell that to someone else.”
My father-in-law was sold on the spot. This was personal customer service above and beyond the call of duty, something that he couldn’t find at the Best Buys and Circuit Cities of the world.
And that’s what today’s consumer is looking for; an experience that stands out from the rest. We all want to know that we are more than customers. We want to feel special, like our business matters. This is a lot easier to pull off if you own a small business or you are a sole proprietorship. A simple smile, and practicing the golden rule (treat others the way you’d like to be treated) will win most customers over faster than you can say half-price sale.
So what’s your extraordinary customer service experience? I’d love to hear it, just leave a comment here.
1 comment so far ↓
I actually had an awesome experience–actually at least two–recently at Dutch Bros. Coffee in Caldwell. It seems like such an unlikely place, but those guys have it figured out. EVERY time I go there the employee–doesn’t matter who’s working that day–is always kind and asks how my day is going and what I’ve been up to that day. And…actually listens! One time I stopped and the guy upgraded me to their largest size for free. Another time, the girl noticed my two kids and the dog that were riding along and gave me a sucker for my oldest and a dog bone for the dog. It’s those kind of simple, customer-service things that matter.
More than any ad campaign, more than any catchy slogan, those two things, combined with their friendly service, have cemented Dutch Bros. in my mind as a play of not only quality products, but outstanding service. all that form a little drive-up only coffee stand. Who knew?
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