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Improve or Die
By
Craig Bailey
In our previous newsletter we highlighted a company (Staples) making
positive improvements in their customers' experience. Continuing in that
theme, we present a scenario involving two companies, in the same
industry, with different approaches to customer service, and, as a
result, different outcomes of success.
Ask someone you know who drives one
My parents recently experienced their 5th "total electrical system
failure" with their 2007 Chevrolet Silverado. After recharging the
battery, they took the truck into the Chevy dealership. After waiting
for 3 ½ hours, my folks were offered use of a rental car. This required
a further wait of 45 minutes for the dealership to drive them to an
offsite facility to pick up the rental car. The next day my parents went
back to the rental facility, dropped off the car and received a ride
back to the dealership (another 45 minute wait). When my parents
inquired about the problem with the truck, the dealership proceeded to
explain NOTHING. That is, they couldn't find the problem (for the 5th
time).
My dad thanked them for trying and promptly drove the truck to the
Toyota dealership and purchased a brand new Toyota Tundra. When he got
home at 5:30PM, he tried to install the trailer hitch. However, the dead
bolt that holds it in place didn't fit. So he jumped into his Toyota
Tundra and went back to the dealership, calling along the way to make
sure they had what was needed. Upon arrival at 5:58PM, the sales rep was
in the parking lot holding the required dead bolt – free of charge.
Whew. I mean, this was absolutely crucial so that he could hook up his
boat and trailer in the morning to go on his last ride of the season.
In a few days, they'll be taking the Toyota Tundra back to get some
accessories installed. The dealership arranged a rental car (at no
charge). And, the rental car people will meet them at the service desk
at exactly 7:30AM, to provide the keys. If you recall, at the Chevy
dealer, they had to wait 45 minutes for the rental car person to pick
them up, drive them across town and sign out a vehicle, with the reverse
taking place when returning it. Another interesting observation is that
at the Chevy dealership, there was only one other customer while there
were over 20 customers at the Toyota dealership. And, the Toyota sales
rep indicated that he had already sold 3 other vehicles on the same day.
People are buying, from companies that deliver excellent customer
experiences. Toyota knows something :-)
Companies that fail to focus on the customer in these economic times
should be left for dead, letting their very able competitors pick up the
slack. Why should we (the average American) fund the bail-out of
companies with our hard-earned dollars, due to their self-inflicted
inadequacies?
Are you looking at yourself / your company in the mirror? If not, you
should. The world economy has forever changed. Improve or die…
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Contents
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VP Sales & Operations, Americas
Sophos, Inc.
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