Customer Service Through the Customers Eyes

Recently, my brother went to the eye doctor for a routine eye exam and found out that he needed glasses. After the initial shock wore off, he headed to a vision store to get his prescription filled. He recently started a new job and with that came a new insurance card. After shopping around the store and selecting the frames he wanted to purchase, he gave his insurance card to the sales clerk. With a few key strokes on the computer the clerk came back and informed him that his benefits were not effective until 2012.

Knowing that there must be a mistake, my brother informed the clerk that he just signed up for the insurance less than a month ago and that he had never used the insurance before. The clerk suggested he contact the insurance provider and investigate the problem on his own.

One of the qualities I admire most about my brother is his passion for customer service. He has worked in various customer service related capacities during his career and like me, appreciates it when he receives exceptional service. Obviously this was not the case in this situation. As we discussed what the clerk could have done in this situation, we came up with a short list that may have resulted in a different outcome.

1. When in doubt, assume that your customers are telling the truth
2. Go the extra mile, pick up the telephone and investigate on behalf of the customer
3. Don’t make the customer do the job that you were hired to do
4. Act like you care; it takes very little to show understanding and empathy for others
5. Value your customers; if you don’t, the store down the street will

It doesn’t matter if the product you are purchasing involves glasses, a car or even something as small as a candy bar. Customer service and delivering a quality experience is the one factor that determines if you will have a customer for life or if they will head straight to your competitors.

If you have a customer service experience you would like to share, let me know.