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October 28, 2008
Customer Service Matters.
I got a flat tire on Saturday. Not really a big deal, but I attempted to change the tire to put on the mini-spare. Since it is a Mercedes (albeit an entry-level model), I presumed it would either be obvious or have good instructions. I presumed wrong.
I am pretty handy with tools, etc, but I have NO idea how this jack was really supposed to work. And once I got the lug bolts out, I could not get the tire off (apparently, the trick is kick the tire...pretty scary with a car lifted on a precarious-looking jack.) All this reminded me of a call I had with a former client who tried to reach people at Hotmail with a problem and learned that there are no real options (unless you really dig hard) to get a human on the phone.
These examples are pretty "trivial" but they are also pretty common. It is when people are in the most challenged circumstances that "customer service" is the most valuable. And, what constitutes "challenged" is in their control. (In my case, it was raining, I had never changed a tire on this car before, and I was running late for an appointment.)
So, how would your customer service plans stack up for clients in a time of need? In a world where "brand loyalty" is increasingly an oxymoron, customer service may be the most powerful lever to developing loyalty. Ask Tony Hsieh at Zappo's which built a business founded on the most improbable of services...selling shoes online. A focus on good service today is really good business.
Posted by jcioban at October 28, 2008 12:29 PM
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