Who Loves You Baby?

September 26, 2007.

Do you ever have those days where you are positive that everyone is against you?  You know someone has a voo-doo doll and they are totally poking you?  Well, I KNOW those days (um, yesterday.....today.......)  But, let's back-track to last Thursday......you know I was kind of (okay totally) complaining and rallying the troops about what we can do about copy-cat artists, designers,blah, blah blah blah.  That very day, this magazine shows up; Fortune Small Business, "Extreme Customer Service".  Hmmm, I think the universe is totally on my side......

  The cover story basically talks about what it takes to win on service.  Customers (we know this) want to be dealt with, they want to know they are important and they want their problems taken care of - in a speedy manner.

Last post, I mentioned I was going to step it up a bit, promise to deliver (uh, what I had already been doing....but still).  The small companies featured in the article had some very creative ways of dealing with, and exceeding in Customer Service:

• Simply Soles was started by Kassie Rempel, due to poor service she encountered on line.  She started simplyshoes.com, an on line women's shoe emporium for high-end women shoes.  The company will send samples to a customer, no cost, to try on shoes - and the customer only gets charged for shoes purchased.  Since European sizes and American sizes do not always match up - it gives the customer the opportunity to sample the shoes.
• Threadless.com gets feedback from it's customer base - on every t-shirt design.  It uses its website and various company sponsored blogs of underground t-shirt design contests to gather information on the best design to reproduce.  Sometimes a t-shirt that has a "hate-it" response will provoke more controversy.......this mean sales.
• A gym based in Michigan sends our various newsletters and tracks responses.  He gathers email addresses and if someone stops coming to the gym he sends gentle reminders, consisting of phone calls, emails and letters.  Emailing an article about "a marathon" was all it took for a (this is what they called him) laggard, (their terms NOT mine) to start training again.  A little encouragement has been found to get people back into the gym.

The back lash on America made products, or created in the U.S.A is very evident these days.  Being a parent I get what it means to save a few bucks for that gift.  However, it seems that some small companies are doing all that it takes to win the deal and keep the customer.

We have had the great fortune to work with an amazing company, The Warm Biscuit Bedding Company for the past three years.  They have helped me understand how important customer service is.  When a mistake is made - they fix it.  If  it is my product, they contact me, and see how fast I can get it out and they apologize.  I swear, it sound so simple, but most companies do not do either.  Make it right - fix it , that is all the customer wants, and The Warm Biscuit Bedding Company gets it!

Yesterday I got to take our Customer Service to the test.  A customer, who had purchased a Birth Certificate 3 months ago, (we turn our products around in 2 to 3 weeks) from one of our sales channels called to complain.  She had called  (the re-seller) to get tracking information, she emailed to find out if the order had shipped......she even went as far as finding out the store next door and making them walk over and track her sale.  She got no response.  She got no confirmation.  But, oh ya she DID get charged for the product, and the shipping.  Well, she found us on line and called as a last ditch effort to get some information on her purchase (it was for her brother's first born).

I spoke with her on the phone, listened to her story.  We never got the order, in fact we had continuously tried to contact this vendor for listing us incorrectly (Jamie's Printing & Design....um, close!).  Bottom line, is it was not my problem I never got the order, THEY took her money, not me.

However, my product was what she wanted to order - I did NOT want her to have a bad impression of Jamie's Painting & Design.  I took her information, I took the order, I took the shipping information - I personally made the tile.  We are shipping it Friday - at NO charge to her.  I figure she has been through enough.  I am sending it at no charge (did I mention that? It is very late...).  She was ecstatic - what more could I ask for?

I am not puffing my chest out and pounding it........my chest is not big enough, and I am too tired for physical labor at this point.  I want her to have a good impression and experience with my company. 

And, yes, I AM dropping this sales channel..........immediately.  I do not want to be associated with a company, no matter what the excuses are - for not handling Customer Service like we do.  We make sure the customer is happy - we make sure that we make it right.  And my gosh, we call or email back.......come on people!

Comments

[Vicki Bodwell]

Thanks for the plug...! We TRY to get it right in fact we try really hard...and the one lesson I've learned over the years, is that good (not exceptional even) consistent customer service is HARD to achieve.

We talk about it, obsess over it and try to walk the walk...and SOMETIMES we get it right. Other times, we fail. This makes us feel terrible, keeps me up at night, etc. But we pick ourselves up ask what we learned and move forward.

At the end of the day...that is all we can really do. Try, try and try again.

Vicki
warmbiscuit.com

[London]

I agree 100%. Customer service is what keeps a customer coming back and I would say that 75% of my business is repeat business. We recently lost an order due to a computer crash and I spoke with the confused customer this week. My solution - I am sending her order immediately and I'm not charging her a dime. She fully expected to pay for it still, but the mistake was ours, it missed the deadline date and I want her continued business. It's a no brainer for me, but she was beyond grateful and will order again and even said she has told friends about us. Word of mouth referrals is one of the best marketing tools around. I find that customers are amazingly surprised when they find an online company that gives them top of the line customer service, they expect less from internet businesses for some crazy reason.

[Joelle DeNardo]

I AM So HAPPY that I came across your Blog today! WOW!
What a breath of FRESH air YOU are!!!
I am ALL ABOUT customer service to a FAULT!
MY whole last 15 years has been about Customer service & DONATING!!!!!!
I so want to please everyone I guess i just wanted to get my product out to so many that I forgot about ME! = (making money & moving forward, learning & growing....)
I got caught up in way too much with PLEASING EVERYONE & all the DRAMA with LIFE and 4 Little babies.... that I forgot what I was trying to do. (well.... I didn't forget totally, but I didn't want to confront it all at once I guess....)
It all started with starting a product because of having a newborn & creating something myself..... one persons "praise" led to it all & in the trials & erros of it all I got carried away with donations, school fundraisers, "HELPING" friends REDO their entire rooms.... etc..... well this MOMMMY got tired of it but continued to create, but not making any money & still spending tons of it & just spengin too much time on a no win plan..BUT when your a MOMMY & YOUR SUPER BUSY & do not get alot of sleep, Im not quite thinking reasonably. I have 5 little girls. 4 at 3 diff. schools & a 8 month starting to walk! Im not around mommys even though im all about children & have my own & others always with me. I guess sometimes they think what's one more... she's busy with them, i'll stay away???? well.. not sure why, we just moved here from another state sooo its just been all around difficult for me.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO comming here finding YOUR sweet honest self really gave me hope to just surround myself with LIKE minded individuals.... im glad I found your blog & hope to find many more in your trails.... I NEED to find REAL MOMMIES that CARE, are HONEST & Family Comes FIRST!!!
THERE IS A WAY......I KNOW IT, I JUST GOT SIDE TRACKED. (Believe me... I Made GREAT contacts along the way, some really SUCCESSFUL & FABULOUS, however,..... I let little negative people bring me down) NOW ITS TIME TO GET ME BACK & MY FAMILY PROUD OF ME AGAIN!!!!
I so look forward to meeting you & seeing you GROW even more!
BEST WISHES~
Joelle XO

[Jamie Lentzner]

Joelle, Nice to meet ya and SO glad you like the blog. I saw your blog and you have some AMAZING beautiful items, wow - just amazing. Five girls - wow again! Congrats on your success - what is your company? I would love to see more your stuff. I have met some amazing entrepreneurs from this blog - it is a good way to talk with other "crazy-like minded creative people" ! Please keep posting!

[Mama Zen]

You sound like a fabulous person to do business with. That is sadly uncommon these days!

[Jamie Lentzner]

Ah thanks Mama Zen - I am GREAT to deal with.....that is what I tell everyone ;)! And from your blog - I am thinking Baby Puppy would love a Princess/Ballerina/Butterfly/Fairy type of sparkley plaque thingie....Kidding. Hopefully I will take my cranky pants off and post some positive stuff....take care!

[Sarah]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Sarah

http://blanket.ws

[davidbaer]

Often we forget the little guy, the SMB, in our discussions of the comings and goings of the Internet marketing industry. Sure there are times like this when a report surfaces talking about their issues and concerns but, for the most part, we like to talk about big brands and how they do the Internet marketing thing well or not so well.

www.onlineuniversalwork.com