Being Remarkable with Baby Steps

If you're a small- or medium-sized business wanting to become something great (however you define that for your business), it can be discouraging when you look at a company like Apple or Google, with all the fanfare they bring to their product launches, realizing that you don't have the resources to generate that kind of buzz and mania. However, being remarkable isn't only for the big companies with seemingly endless resources. Though it never hurts, it isn't about hyper-publicized product launches, and it isn't about extraordinary advertising. It's about doing the little things that make people happy. It's about going a step beyond the ordinary to delight (or save) a customer.

Take the case of two companies. One big, one small.

The other day a friend's truck broke down when he was about 600 miles past his warranty. It wouldn't even start. Because he had the truck in the shop for repairs 1,000 miles earlier, I suggested he call the dealership to see if they'd fix whatever the problem was as if his car were still under warranty.

Though their cost might be only $150 (or less, as it turns out), they wouldn't even consider it. Consequently, if he took it to the dealership it would cost my friend closer to $250, plus a $60 towing fee.

Through a series of phone calls and inspections, he discovered that the problem was probably his after-market alarm (which was about a year past its warranty). Towing the truck to the small alarm installation company would have cost him $135, so he called the company who installed his alarm.

At first the installer tried to talk my friend through the process of disabling the alarm, but he didn't have the tools to do all that was necessary. Instead, the installer agreed to drive the 30+ miles he needed to in order to get the truck up-and-running again.

Cost: $60. Reward: Lifelong appreciation.

Reflecting on the auto company that posted an $8.7 billion loss, I have to infer that their dealerships aren't exactly having a picnic. They need all sorts of customers. Repeat customers. New customers. Returning customers. One of the ways they will get them is if the people who are customers have great experiences with them and talk about those experiences with others.

Neither company was liable for the problem.

But only the smaller one walked away as a hero.

When the opportunity comes to go just a bit beyond what was expected, knowing that doing so will win you a great fan and ambassador, keep in mind that even though it may cost you a few bucks, the reward makes it well worth it.

In a market where iPhones and search appliances suck up all of the oxygen capture all the ink, as it turns out the underlying cause for all of that publicity is the ability to please people and make their lives easier. You don't need to climb high mountains, fund expensive expeditions, or take giant leaps to do that. Sometimes -- many times -- baby steps will do.  - Cam Beck

Comments

[Jay Ehret]

Thanks for sharing that story, Cam. Most companies today just want to sell you stuff. Customer service and satisfaction are talked about but rarely implemented. The simple act of satisfying a customer through thoughtful, selfless service is unfortunately, remarkable.

[Lisa Braithwaite]

Cam, I just had two customer service experiences with Sprint that really surprised me.

The first was with a customer service rep who spent a good hour with me on the phone trying to figure out what was wrong with my cell phone. After all that time, we determined that I would have to go into the local store to have them save my contacts before resetting the phone. The rep offered to call me back the next day to see how everything went. And she did!

When I went into the store, the woman who helped me was incredibly patient and helpful. She discovered that my phone was actually defective and would have to be replaced. There would have been a fee to replace the phone, because I didn't have their insurance plan.

Instead of charging me the $35+ to replace the phone, she instead added the $4 insurance plan to my account before ordering the new phone, then told me I could cancel it the next day if I wanted to.

When I returned to pick up my new phone almost a week later, this woman even remembered my name. Unbelievable.

Two excellent customer service experiences two days in a row? Unheard of. Especially considering that so many other aspects of dealing with cell phone companies (including Sprint) are infuriating.