Is it just me, or is customer service improving with the recession? After going through my monthly bills, I decided to look at how I could scale down a bit and save some money. I am really saving for a trip to Hawaii before the end of the summer, so every penny I save is a penny invested in my dream vacation in a lush, tropic setting in Maui!
So, I called AT&T first to see what they could do for me. Not expecting more than a transactional, robotic experience, I was overwhelmingly “wowed” with the level of service I received from the customer service representative over the telephone. She used my name throughout the call, thanked me for being a loyal customer, worked diligently with me to look at ways I could save money on my telephone bill, and offered me an upgrade to their satellite TV service at a remarkable discount.
Now I am sure some of you are thinking, “Theo that should be a normal service experience!” But in light of the current economic circumstances, someone in leadership at that AT&T office is focused on retaining loyal customers through these tough economic times. We have all become so accustomed to being taken advantaged of and receiving mediocre to poor service from large corporations, that when an employee takes the time to make you feel valued, it is a BIG THING.
Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and companies are already looking to how they will retain customer loyalty as the economy rebounds. So with that in mind -- What is your organization currently doing? Will your service be up to par? Will you be ready after the recession? I can tell you that only those organizations who are currently investing in service excellence initiatives now will retain the competitive advantage in the future.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have recently been “shocked” by the exceptional service you received from a large or small company, send me a short note to share your wow experience. I look forward to hearing from you.
