Another Customer Service Story
Last week I had a flat tire at work. I felt lucky that it hadn’t happened on the freeway while I was on my way to work, but nevertheless, it was a problem that needed to be resolved. I called my auto club, and got a quick response. Within a half hour, they sent a local service company representative to put on an emergency tire so I could drive to a tire center to get the flat tire repaired. This was excellent service. I will definitely renew my auto club membership when it comes due.
After work, I proceeded to the tire center. I told the service employee that I thought the problem was a leaking tire valve because I had had problems like this before in very hot weather. I received “that look” that implies, “What does this woman know about tires?”
After inspecting the tire, the service employee told me that the tire was bad and needed to be replaced. He suggested a very pricey new tire that would work, or I could have all tires replaced for a great price (which was astronomical!) I asked if anything else was available in a used tire that would get me through until I replaced all tires in a few months. He finally “found” a good used tire for $35.
I bought the tire and made my way home. Three hours later, when I needed a trip to the supermarket, I found that the replacement tire was flat. By now, it was too late to go to the tire center near my home, so I had to wait until morning to do this, which meant that I would be late for work.
Next day, when I got to the new service center, I again explained that I thought the problem involved the tire valve. Within 15 minutes, the service employee checked the tire (and all others) and told me that the problem WAS the tire value and that it had been replaced at NO CHARGE. I proceeded to work with a smile on my face.
Now where do you think I’ll go for my new set of tires in a few months? Think about this story when you’re dealing with your customers. Poor service will hurt your sales; good service will increase your sales. End of story!