Stuff Happens – It is About How You Handle It
Posted on : 01-07-2009 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Customer Service
Tags: 16th Avenue Pharmacy, Customer Service
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For me everything is about Customer Service. I believe creating the right Customer experience will pay dividends for years to come for any company. I also believe that in the coming years Customer Service will be what differentiates companies. I always like to recognize excellent service. We receive it all the time when we order a product and it comes as expected. This is excellent. But any company, big or small will have a time where a mistake happens. It is not about the mistake, it is just a question of how it is dealt with.
Last week my wife ordered a package from an Amazon store called 16th Avenue Pharmacy. I love that name because it reminds me of the small pharmacy we use called Harris Pharmacy in Doylestown, PA. Anyway my wife ordered the item and it was delivered today. When she opened the package it was not the correct item. Well stuff happens. She told me she was going to send an email about the mix up. This is where you really begin to judge the service provided by any company. It is also something smaller companies tend to excel at.
Within minutes of sending the email, the phone rang. She missed it because she was talking to me. Then her cell phone rang, which was missed. So she went to check the caller ID to call back, but when she did, an email popped up saying “I am so sorry about this mispick!!! You will have the bird house tomorrow!! Thank you and sorry!” This is my favorite style of email, not a form letter (I can do a whole blog post on emails written in letter style), but a sincere message that truly conveys an apology. But what made this more special was the speed in the response and I also like that they tried to call over the phone first for the personal touch.
We have all experienced “mispicks” (my new favorite term) and the way it has been handled can vary a great deal. I have been questioned regarding the product received. I have also been told to return an item before the correct one will be issued. There was none of that. In fact Carolyn wrote back to find out how to deal with it. Mark, the president of the company, responded “Don’t even worry about it keep it on me!’” This is what service is about. Not about the mistakes that happen, but how you handle them. Kudos to Mark and 16th Avenue Pharmacy!
Have you had a situation where a company handled a mistake well and it impressed you?
Frank, I think many employees are forgetting a simple fact. “Your paycheck is provided by the Customer”. I have worked in the Service Sector for 12 years and I am sad that only a few companies have embraced the idea “We do what it takes for the customer”.
So, it is always awesome to have companies treat me like their best customer especially large companies.
My house was floded a few months ago. My fridge decided to leak water instead of making ice.
Well my repairs were waiting for my insurance check. The insurance company sent the wrong amount. When I called I was expecting the usual “You will have to wait until we cut you another check and wait for it in the mail, sorry Mr. Mora that is just the way it is.” I was a happy man when they not only cut me the check for the difference but they had it hand delivered to me the following morning at 9AM.
The fact that they made me feel that my situation was important is the reason why they now insure my vehicles too.
My wife ordered a sweater from Blair ! The stock ran out the next day she was notified and sent $5.00 discount coupon to be used on her next purchase for her inconvenience.
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