Today's good customer service experience came from Discount Tire. Johnny ended up getting a flat tire the other day on his way to lunch. So...time to get new tires. BLAH. We have a Discount Tire just down the street...so we started looking around their website. Shopping for things like this is always super fun because...well because I'm frugal and Johnny is not. :P But we finally compromised and I picked the tires. ;)
Anyway...I ordered them online, set the date for the appointment, and then it said I had to pay in store. Then I got a call the next day saying we would need to go in and put at least 10% down before they could order them. Johnny had already left for work, so I told him I'd have to take it in the following morning. Then I get another call back saying that they just realized the tire we ordered had been discontinued. Um...then why is it on your website?! He did say in the voicemail that he'd try to find us a deal on a different set of tires. Since Johnny was already at work, I decided to wait until he got home to decide what we want to do.
I went back on their website and started looking at similar tires. While I was looking at a set that I liked, I found that they have a link where you can submit a link for price matching. I found the $72 tires on a different site for $60.78 per tire (including shipping) so I submitted the information. I kept waiting to get the email response, but then I got tired of waiting so I went ahead and called. I spoke to the guy who'd left the voicemail and let him know which tires we wanted and that I'd found them online for a cheaper price. He said that they could definitely honor that price and they'd just have to change it manually in the store. He didn't even ask for the information about the website or anything (although I already have it printed out to take with me to the appointment).
So...the point of the story is that even though there was a problem, a better solution was found in the end. With their price-match guarantee, I was able to find a better deal. And because of that, the next time I or someone I know needs tires, I'm going to recommend them. While they may have made less money on my purchase than they would've without the price match, they also earned future business. It's focusing on the long game instead of the short play...that's how you win.
There's the old saying that the customer is always right. Well...not really. There are a lot of times when the customer is wrong about something. BUT...the customer IS always the customer. And if you want to keep that customer, then keep the customer happy. And if you keep the customer happy, they can bring you other customers as well.
I attended a required customer service training session at a previous job. I didn't even have a customer service position, but it was required for everyone. I'll always remember the video that talked about "just give 'em the pickle." No really...that's the entire premise for the video. The idea was to find something that your business can provide the customer to make them happy...and he just happened to run a restaurant. After a customer complaint about being charged for extra pickles, it created the policy to "just give 'em the pickle." It's the same concept as price match guarantees, promotional credits for items that were not delivered by the stated time, etc. It provides the customer something that keeps them happy...and will likely keep them as a customer.
Like I said, I'm not getting paid for this "endorsement" at all. I simply had a good experience and felt compelled to share that experience with others. That's what good customer service will do for your business.