This past month I have been driving myself crazy packing my two children to go to a summer camp where they will stay for 24 days. You might be thinking, "Wow what a vacation for you!" Well, I would agree, except right now I can't feel that excited. I think I've spent just as much money shopping for their camping experience as I did for them to attend the camp! I've been to numerous stores with packing list in hand making sure that they have what they need only to find that I forgot something or what I bought was the wrong size. You can imagine my emotional state every time I have to run out and buy more stuff to jam into their duffel bags.
While shopping at all these various stores, I came to appreciate good Customer Service even more. While I'm being frustrated losing my mind in a sea of camp shirts, socks, duffel bags and toiletry items, I don't need to have an uncaring, un-attentive sales person (not) helping me. We have a few major stores in our area that we can go to for shopping for these items. One is a little more economical than the other. The more economically friendly store was very helpful, attentive and extremely knowledgeable. I saved a lot of money with them. Unfortunately they did not have one item that my daughter desperately needed for camp. So, on to the other not-so-economical store where they have cornered the market on the item that my daughter needed. I dreaded going in there because I knew it would be a zoo with 5 million other camper parents throwing things on the counter to buy. Luckily there was a sales person right at the foot of the door ready to assist me as soon as I walked in. I told her what I needed and she quickly did help me, however their store was completely overcrowded with racks of clothes so no one could get by, sales people were screaming at each other to get orders in, and I found out my sales person didn't even offer me a "special" on some camp shirts that I overheard another sales person offering another customer. Not that I wanted to spend any more money in this place, but I quite honestly felt like a rat in a maze and my goal was to get out of the maze as quickly as possible.
Needless to say I got the shirt. I also had to get my kid's duffel bags printed with their names on them...ughh...the thought of going back into that same rat-race store made my stomach churn, but I thought they were the only ones in town to do it. I asked the sales person how much it would cost and she told me very quickly that it would be $5/name on the duffel if I did not buy the duffels from them. So, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked what would it cost if I did buy the duffels from them? She smiled and said "only $4!" Seriously? Was I supposed to pay $15-$20 more on the duffel bags just so I could save $1 each for the screen printing of my kid's names? I told her I would come back with the duffels since I did not have them on me at the time.
The weekend came and I got busy with other family things, so I thought I would run over there on a Sunday. Of course, they were closed. Not surprised I thought to myself, "not a problem, I'll go back on Monday." My daughter came with me this time and I ran over there all excited to finish this big step in the process. I walk up to the doors and they said they were closed on Mondays! What retail store closes on a Monday?! I was outraged and thought enough was enough...not only is this place non-customer service friendly, they are not retail friendly being closed on a week day!
I told my daughter not to worry...Mommy was on the case. I seemed to remember that there was a store near where we live that can do the same thing. I knew they did stitching and screen printing for schools and businesses...so I thought why not camp duffel bags?? I quickly ran over to them and told them my tales. The business owner was the one who assisted me and just smiled and listened to my rantings of a deranged camp mom. He said he would love to help and quickly wrote up my order smiling the entire time and just listening to me vent my frustrations. They were not as equipped as this other store to handle camp orders, however they knew it was the next step in their business growth and said he wanted to be ready by next summer. He then dropped a bomb on me...duffel bags won't be ready for 3 days! What??? I needed them in one day! He smiled again and said he would do his best to pick up production and get them done in two days. Well, that was a little better. They were also $3 more than the other place, however I was all too happy to pay them what they asked because he was friendly, attentive, and listened to my concerns. I gave him my duffel bags and walked out feeling very relaxed and comfortable knowing my duffel bags were in good, capable hands.
Later that night at around 9 p.m., I received a phone call from them. They were done!!! I was shocked. The owner called me before he left the store for the day, which was way after they actually closed, just to tell me they were done. He said he asked for some favors with the production team and they were able to put my duffels in ahead of schedule. He offered to stay at the store until I could get them that night, however I told him I was so appreciative, he could leave and go home. I would be back in the morning to get them.
Now, that's top quality Customer Service. I applaud these folks..they've earned a customer for life and now we just have to get them ready and set up for Summer 2011!
Carolyn Berg is a Virtual Assistant and owner of CyberOffice Solutions, LLC, of Farmington Hills, Michigan. She works with Coaches and Small Business owners to help them grow their businesses by easing the burden of daily administrative tasks and providing excellent Customer Service.
CyberOffice Solutions, LLC
http://www.cyberofficesolutions.net
carolyn@cyberofficesolutions.net
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