Through all of the advice and philosophizing out there, sometimes great customer service boils down to what Jack Palance told Billy Crystal in the movie City Slickers. Excerpted, Palance asks, “Do you know what the secret of life is?…One thing. Just one thing…[Crystal asks] But, what is the ‘one thing?’…[Palance replies] That’s what you have […]
Category: Kudos
While Costco was listed first on my top mom and pop kudos list, there are many companies out there with similar attitudes and aptitudes. These companies, smaller in scope than Costco, come up just as large when it comes to taking care of customers/clients. I’ve already recognized these three in previous posts. I’m bringing them […]
As companies grow bigger and more global, customer service in many quarters is feeling more like dealing with a caring mom and pop enterprise than a mega-company. That’s clearly the attitude of such companies as Costco, which has been making me feel right at home since 1999. (Full disclosure: I’m an unabashed, biased Costcophile with […]
Amid COVID-19 retail carnage, Costco is managing to weather the storm well so far according to recent stock reports and recommendations. Its legendary customer service likely is leading the pack of positives. Whether or not such pandemic-related policies as mandatory masks and special hours from 9-10 AM Monday-Friday for seniors and shoppers with disabilities or […]
Customer service isn’t one-size-fits-all. While there are some policies that merit universal application, such as listening to and acting upon customer concerns in a caring and substantive way, preferences can vary considerably. What do companies do to best identify what most customers want and expect, understanding that not everyone will be happy? In the words […]
In search of a qualified functional medicine specialist with whom I could partner to improve my health, I discovered a huge abyss of customer service attitudes. The first candidate lost the opportunity to serve me after saying the doc didn’t offer short, complimentary meet-and-greets to determine if a positive connection exists. Oh, and I […]
There’s been a lot of talk about over-communicating with customers during COVID to make sure they know they’re acknowledged and cared about. However, there are definite exceptions—in this case it involves a prospect but the same principles apply to existing customers. A few weeks back, I checked into Inogen, a portable oxygen concentrator company just […]
Hopefully, one of the most enduring COVID-19 crisis legacies will be a corporate culture where customer service reps offer an open hand to help versus a clenched fist. For far too long, corporate America has largely embraced the clenched-fist policy, in which customer service is provided in as small increments as absolutely necessary. In many […]
Have you gone out of your way to provide more compassionate and caring customer service during the COVID-19 crisis? If so, those efforts can become a cornerstone of customer loyalty and buying. In addition to those who already know, tell the rest of the world about it! This is a case where prior “good acts” […]
Recently, I received a link to a four-minute YouTube under the “Tom Foolery” banner. This installment, entitled “The Great Realisation,” addresses the days when COVID-19 attacked the land. It’s a look back from the future. Amid all the conflicting overly-sanguine and gloom-and-doom reports about the pandemic and lack of certainty about its spread, containment and […]
