The Inside Scoop on Great Customer Service!
Mar 2nd 2010DrewAdvertising & Business & Marketing & Signage
AT ICSigns, You Get More Than You Bargained For
As Mick Jagger sang…. ♫ ♪ You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, You get what you need! ♪ ♫
OK, so maybe I don’t need those extra pounds! But, I love it when I get more than I bargained for in a deal. It doesn’t matter what it is or how small the extra. It could be that extra large scoop of ice cream or getting your windshield cleaned at a full-serve gas station (when was the last time that happened?). We all love to get those little extras and I know it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to provide it. Many businesses these days tend to concentrate so much on the bottom line that they lose sight of customer service.
Airlines are one industry that has lost sight of customer service. It wasn’t enough that they used to lose our bags regularly. Now we have to pay extra for checking bags, or even taking bags on the plane. Snacks used to be supplied – not any more. I used to get two hot meals on my flights to England (dinner and breakfast) but now it’s just dinner. Breakfast is a stodgy ham roll and a fat-laden muffin. That does nothing for your constitution after sitting in a cramped position for 8 hours!
Okay, I’m getting into a rant here and that was not my intent. I’d like to talk about one positive experience I’ve had recently and how I feel about the organization.
My 15 year-old daughter wanted to take her level 1 ski instructor course just before Christmas. It was 4 days on the slopes and I thought it was a great idea. Moreover, I thought I would also apply since I had thought about doing this for some time and because it would be me that had to drive her to the ski resort anyway, so why not? We took the course and both passed. My skiing has improved for the experience and I enjoyed the course immensely. That was what I expected and I felt good about it. The bonus came afterwards, at our ski club where we offered our services as instructors. Unbeknownst to me, as part of the deal, the Director of Snow Sports and his supervisors put on a ski training session for instructors at the end of each ski day. The Director is a level 4 ski instructor who can analyze a person’s skiing minutely and give amazing feedback on how to improve. Who wouldn’t appreciate that extra guidance? For me, this was a huge bonus. Instruction by a Level 4 ski instructor is expensive and the best instruction money can buy.
How do I feel about this organization? Great! Will I continue to be an instructor there? Absolutely!
What do we do at ICSigns that offers a bonus to our customers? Well, for one, we’ve never charged extra for a rush job. We pride ourselves in being able to shuffle our production schedule to accommodate emergency orders.
And we give other extras. Recently, we made repairs to a sign frame for a customer without charging for it. The sign was in our shop for a new acrylic face and graphics and the repairs ensured the sign would give many years service. The customer appreciated that. Likewise, some customers need us to deliver product to them. We do so willingly because we know that by doing so, we are cementing our relationship with the customer. It may cost us a little to give these extras but what it does for us in customer relations is priceless!
Have you forgotten what it’s like to be treated to great customer service? Or perhaps you are trying to find a business that believes in good, old-fashioned care for the client. If so and you need great signs, please put us to the test.
In the meantime, tell me about your last great experience with customer service. I love to hear from all my readers.
Happy Signing,
Drew.
