This Is How Customer Service Should Be
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Apr 29, 2006
(originally posted April 20th, 2006)
I have a friend, Kim, who owns a gift basket company. Not only are her products great, but she’s got customer service down to a science. I have ordered three times from her, and it never ceases to amaze me just how customer friendly her service is.
As a for instance, the last time I ordered something for my wife off her online website, I got an immediate response detailing my order after I actually put it through. Maybe 15 minutes later, I received a follow up thank you message from her website. The next day, I received another email later in the day, telling me that my package had been delivered. A few days later, in the mail, I got a copy of the written cash register receipt, along with a letter thanking me for the purchase, and of course a flyer highlighting specials she would be offering for upcoming holidays. A week after my order, I received another email, this time personal, asking me how my wife had enjoyed the gift basket I had purchased for her.
Man, talk about feeling special. Why wouldn’t I think of her first the next time I wanted to get a special purchase for my wife? I could sit here and think that the last email I received was because she was a friend of mine, but knowing her, I bet she sends emails like that to all of her customers, because she never goes halfway on anything.
It doesn’t seem all that often that you read about very good customer service stories. I’m glad to have the opportunity to pass one along. I also hope that I can step in her shoes when it comes to offering good customer service to my clients.
Mitch,
It warmed my heart to hear about the great customer service you received from this gift basket designer. She has demonstrated the type of customer service that keeps successful companies in the black for many years. She also has set a model for the rest of us in the business of serving clients (that’s all of us, isn’t it?).
Companies that provide me with this type of service are the ones that win my loyalty.
It’s wonderful to read that your gift basket provider considers great service to be more than a slogan.
Perhaps others should contract her to teach this winning formula to their staff, but that might take away the time she needs to keep her service at peak performance.
Hi Shirley. Actually, she’s looking to get on the speaker’s circuit to talk about customer service. It’s something all of us need to try to do with our businesses, that’s for sure.
Hi Flora. She’s certainly going to make the rest of you earn it, that’s for sure. 🙂