Does Your Customer Service Match This?
by Greg Milner on 03/03/10 at 11:16 am
As the Water Rat said to the Mole in A. A. Milne’s classic Wind in the Willows, there’s nothing, but nothing, quite so much fun as simply messing about in boats.
Except when it isn’t. I’ve just had a less than exhilarating maritime experience that could have been much worse had it not been for one of the most remarkable examples of ‘above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty’ customer service I’ve ever encountered.
Managing all the electrical and mechanical systems on a large, modern boat such as mine can do one’s head in. And, because it’s a boat, Murphy’s Law is even more applicable; if it can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible moment.
Michelle and I had been looking forward to this recent long weekend. The late summer weather was forecast hot and still, so with fuel and fresh water tanks brim full, we eagerly pointed the nose of our 40ft Caribbean ‘Tides’ west, gunned the diesels and skimmed across the 15 miles of Gage Roads to our mooring at Longreach Bay on the northern side of Rottnest Island.
My elderly parents arrived late the following day on the ferry, and it wasn’t long after that that the wheels started falling off.
Without plenty of fresh water on a boat, life afloat can be pretty ordinary. You need it for drinking, washing dishes, showering, flushing the toilet…try doing without it for a day, you’ll see what I mean.
So the Milner floating household was not a happy one when, just as the sun dipped below the horizon and we were all looking forward to a nice hot shower followed by dinner on the deck, the fresh water pump down in the bilge decided to call on Murphy.
Rottnest Island raft-up - looks great from this angle, entirely different when you're down in the bilge lathered in sweat...
Without that pump, you’re toast. It ain’t like turning on a tap at home, where it just falls out of the thing. On a boat, it has to be pumped out of a tank.
All that night, I glumly contemplated the prospect of heading home the following morning, and missing out on a weekend of the best weather we’d had for weeks.
I knew my chances of ferreting out a new pump and getting it across to the island were worse than slim, they were anorexic. But I knew my brother Peter was bringing his boat across that day to join the family.
I called him. He called a guy he knew who owned a marine parts business. That guy was also at Rottnest Island, enjoying his weekend. “But I’ll call one of my staff, see what he can do.”
Within the hour, as Peter pulled alongside one of the jetties that dot the river banks down near its Fremantle Harbour mouth, young Alex arrived with replacement pump. Barked knuckles, a layer of sweat and three hours later, I’d restored our water supply, and our weekend afloat.
How often have you heard of a business – any business – going to those lengths, particularly on a Sunday.
I often rant about the Sales Prevention Department that grows like a cancer in all businesses. Maybe I should start an award for the Above and Beyond Department.
(But the Sales Prevention Department will always be more finely-tuned, and much more widely distributed. Two days ago I paid a $9,000 invoice for some cosmetic work on the boat by another marine supplier. The actual work was okay, but the mess left behind by the tradesman – pencil marks on the gelcoat, tiny sharp metal filings all over the teak deck – was totally unacceptable. And not so much as a phone call from the owner of that business to check if I was happy with the job. Good grief.)
If you have any similar experiences of extraordinary customer service, tell us about them below. The world needs inspiration, and most business owners need more than that. A size 12 boot up the backside, for example.
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A post by Greg Milner The odd idea, a bit of prodding, a nudge here and there, a little fun, and the occasional dose of brutal reality. Greg is co-founder and CEO of Worldwide Salon Marketing, a writer, direct response marketing consultant, specialist marketing systems adviser and coach. He (sometimes) accepts private consulting clients. |
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Tracey Maryska
Mar 4th, 2010
Tracey – Passion hair & beauty – when I was a stylist on the floor in my salon a few years ago, i had a wonderful Lady named Judith that use to come into my salon on a weekly basis for both hair and beauty, when she was diagnosed with Cancer it was very sad, one Saturday morning her husband called and said she would’nt be coming back to the salon as she was finding it took hard due to her illness, so I told him I would personally come one day a week to her house and do her hair, I was able to do it for a few weeks and when I couldnt do it I had another stylist drive to her home and ensured she at least felt good about her hair, It was never about the money as after all the costing we would have lost money, but it was about giving my very special client and friend who had been so loyal to me something that money could never buy. she was so grateful that she was able to have her hair done weekly by the hairdressers she called in friends for the last few months of her life…. I do miss Judy, but I know she died feelling good about the way she looked right till the end… she was a classy Lady…. I often think of Judith and I know when I do she is with me….
Dee Lawson
Mar 4th, 2010
I did have a similar experience of EXCELLENT customer Service. I was doing the groceries with my 2yr old and my new born son strapped to my stomach in a pouch. My daughter disappeared twice and I was called up to the counter both times to retrieve her! I was hot and bothered, first time doing groceries with both of my children, certainly a new challenge. I got to the checkout flustered, and the young man must have noticed, he unpacked the groceries from the trolley to scan them. He then repacked the trolley, pushed it to the car, then unpacked it again into the boot of my car! It was exceptional service. I rang the store to thank the Manager . The Manager was use to receiving complaints, and was quite aggressive when he answered the phone. He completely changed his tune after i had Thanked him. Can I say, everyone should ring and thank people for great service. To often we don’t acknowledge good Service, but we certainly complain about Poor Service. DEE