Stellar Customer Service
Okay, I know I've been rather slow to blog lately. There is no excuse for this. I've just been lazy is all.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, my friend Erin posted about some really crappy customer service she received when she tried to change the date for a truck rental. I'm sure we all can empathize: call, get put on hold, get cut off, rinse, repeat and repeat and repeat. And it seems that in recent years so much of what passes for customer service is so bad that we just expect it. Sigh.
But in the last month or so, I've been the recipient of TWO (count 'em!) instances of great customer service, and I want to give credit where credit is due.
The first award goes to Midwest Bags. Ever since I got my laptop at work, I've been scouting out a nice, practical but chic bag for it. Oh, the powers that be give you a bag with the laptop, but it is black, and ugly, and heavy as all get out. The only good thing I can say about is that it can slip over the expandable handle of a rolling suitcase so you don't have to schlep it around the airport on your shoulder. Except, of course, when you check your rolly bag. Anyway, I knew I was going to have to fly out of state for focus tests, so I hoped against hope I could find something acceptable.
And then I saw it! A colleague had this very cool red leather rolling laptop bag! This was it, although I hesitated to covet the red leather... didn't want to be a copycat or anything. She was happy to tell me all the wonderful things about the bag. It's a McKlein bag--Chicago made!--and the model is Glen Ellyn, named for a Chicagoland suburb. Not cheap, but it's a beauty! It has the rollers, or you can zip them off and carry it if you wish. It has a cushy interior sleeve for the computer and lots of room for other stuff (files, books, iPods, etc.). Anyway, I did some searching and found the best price here, with free shipping even! And check out the colors!! Aqua!! That's the bag for ME!
Just one problem...I found it on Monday evening while surfing at home, and the trip began on Thursday morning. Overnight shipping was REALLY expensive. I ordered it anyway, but resigned myself to schlepping the ugly black bag this go-round. But guess what? I had it on WEDNESDAY! With free shipping, it took fewer than two days!! That's what I call GREAT service!
The second award goes to FedEx. I ordered some furniture the other day and, while half of it has been back-ordered until July, part of the order arrived today via FedEx (luckily, today was one of my "summer Fridays," a perk we get at work for putting in more hours the other days for a couple of weeks, so I was home to receive it). It was delivered just a little after noon, and when the doorbell rang, I headed down to sign for it. I was planning on having the guy haul the box (long, flattish, and heavy--this is the kind of furniture you put together yourself) into the interior foyer. I figured that Jeff and I could work together to get it up the stairs when he got home.
But when I told the delivery guy my plan, he said, "I'll take it upstairs for you, no problem!" and he hauled the thing up to the second floor and even put it in our hallway, where it will rest until I get around to unboxing and assembling it (i.e., until who knows when...).
I was stunned! Who does that anymore? Well, this particular FedEx guy, obviously! He said it was his pleasure, and that he was just glad to find someone at home on a weekday!
So... my hat's off to Midwest Bags and to FedEx for providing stellar customer service--above and beyond the call of duty!
Anyway, a few weeks ago, my friend Erin posted about some really crappy customer service she received when she tried to change the date for a truck rental. I'm sure we all can empathize: call, get put on hold, get cut off, rinse, repeat and repeat and repeat. And it seems that in recent years so much of what passes for customer service is so bad that we just expect it. Sigh.
But in the last month or so, I've been the recipient of TWO (count 'em!) instances of great customer service, and I want to give credit where credit is due.
The first award goes to Midwest Bags. Ever since I got my laptop at work, I've been scouting out a nice, practical but chic bag for it. Oh, the powers that be give you a bag with the laptop, but it is black, and ugly, and heavy as all get out. The only good thing I can say about is that it can slip over the expandable handle of a rolling suitcase so you don't have to schlep it around the airport on your shoulder. Except, of course, when you check your rolly bag. Anyway, I knew I was going to have to fly out of state for focus tests, so I hoped against hope I could find something acceptable.
And then I saw it! A colleague had this very cool red leather rolling laptop bag! This was it, although I hesitated to covet the red leather... didn't want to be a copycat or anything. She was happy to tell me all the wonderful things about the bag. It's a McKlein bag--Chicago made!--and the model is Glen Ellyn, named for a Chicagoland suburb. Not cheap, but it's a beauty! It has the rollers, or you can zip them off and carry it if you wish. It has a cushy interior sleeve for the computer and lots of room for other stuff (files, books, iPods, etc.). Anyway, I did some searching and found the best price here, with free shipping even! And check out the colors!! Aqua!! That's the bag for ME!
Just one problem...I found it on Monday evening while surfing at home, and the trip began on Thursday morning. Overnight shipping was REALLY expensive. I ordered it anyway, but resigned myself to schlepping the ugly black bag this go-round. But guess what? I had it on WEDNESDAY! With free shipping, it took fewer than two days!! That's what I call GREAT service!
The second award goes to FedEx. I ordered some furniture the other day and, while half of it has been back-ordered until July, part of the order arrived today via FedEx (luckily, today was one of my "summer Fridays," a perk we get at work for putting in more hours the other days for a couple of weeks, so I was home to receive it). It was delivered just a little after noon, and when the doorbell rang, I headed down to sign for it. I was planning on having the guy haul the box (long, flattish, and heavy--this is the kind of furniture you put together yourself) into the interior foyer. I figured that Jeff and I could work together to get it up the stairs when he got home.
But when I told the delivery guy my plan, he said, "I'll take it upstairs for you, no problem!" and he hauled the thing up to the second floor and even put it in our hallway, where it will rest until I get around to unboxing and assembling it (i.e., until who knows when...).
I was stunned! Who does that anymore? Well, this particular FedEx guy, obviously! He said it was his pleasure, and that he was just glad to find someone at home on a weekday!
So... my hat's off to Midwest Bags and to FedEx for providing stellar customer service--above and beyond the call of duty!
Labels: actual customer service, FedEx, laptop bags
posted by Cathy VanPatten at 9:47 PM
3 Comments:
I've got a slew of crappy customer service stories so it's heartening to hear some good ones.
--Some years ago I ordered a (moderately expensive) specialized notebook (an astronomer's observing log) which didn't come and didn't come and didn't come, so I finally e-mailed the guy, who was abjectly apologetic and sent another one immediately. It arrived a couple of days later, then a couple of days after that the first one showed up. I e-mailed the guy offering to pay for the second one but he insisted I keep them both.
--While making preparations for Dad's funeral I mentioned I had an uncle coming who might have some trouble negotiating the walk to the gravesite. On the day of the funeral the director had both a wheelchair and a walker discretely hidden away, just in case, and allowed my aunt to drive across the pristine grass right up to the grave.
Those are examples of customer service above and beyond!
It IS nice to encounter decent customer service these days--that was so considerate of the funeral director. Funerals are hard enough on everyone that any bit of comfort is welcome!
I love good customer service!
My most recent is that our roofers showed up this morning to tack up tar paper over the exposed bits they didn't finish yesterday. They did this in the midst of a storm. We're talking thunder and lightning here! Then, when the storm let up a bit, they got right back up there and finished the job!
Once I ran a guy ragged making a copy of a pattern for me at Kinko's. The size was never right, and then I realized why: I'd given him the wrong pattern! I gave him the correct one, he copied it to my satisfaction, and then he didn't make me pay for any of it! I couldn't believe it!
Post a Comment
<< Home