A Perfect Example of How to Treat a Customer!

"Your customer doesn't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!"
​Damon Richards

by Skip Cohen

Over the years, I've written a lot about the importance of great Customer Service. For most of my life, I've been involved in some level of service, starting out in my Polaroid days, when the first SX-70 cameras were 300% defective.

Today, in a world of AI, online communication, and robots, we all face the challenge of communicating with a live body! Companies like Comcast lead the way in frustrations - too often, the focus on the customer is forgotten!

But today's post is about a company that surprised me and simply did it right! About six months ago I bought two pairs of sneakers online from a company called MLO.

Aging comes with its fair share of changes. For me, one of them is neuropathy in both feet. What I loved about the videos on the MLO site and their Facebook ads was the weight of the shoes. That, together with a great price, I gave them a shot.  It was like wearing my favorite pair of slippers - they were light, unbelievably comfortable, and they looked good.

So I bought two more and a few months later, another two pairs. However, one of the pairs was a different style, and they didn't fit as well. This morning, I contacted them via email, anticipating dealing with another overseas company that would show no regard for customers. I had already anticipated a slow or no response scenario.

I WAS SO WRONG. Within a minute or two of my email, I received a response with a couple of questions. I responded and heard back, again within minutes. One more round of emails and they resolved the challenge and are said they would send me a replacement pair. Within 30 minutes of my first email, the replacement shoes were already on their way!

MLO isn't just a manufacturer of a great shoe line; their service is second to none.

Providing GREAT service is one of the keys to every business's success. No matter how good your product is, without top-notch customer service, success will always be out of reach. Here are six points to help you build a stronger business:

• Response Time: Do you check your email and phone messages multiple times each day? You need to respond as quickly as possible to set yourself apart from your competitors.
• Finding Solutions: Whether you or a team member is working on it, find solutions to challenges quickly. And when there is a problem, NEVER hide from an angry/frustrated customer.
• Exceeding Expectations: Every customer interaction is an opportunity. From the quality of the products and services you offer to each inquiry and interaction with the public - never walk away saying, "That's good enough!"
• Speed Isn't Just About Your Response: Never assume your website is working the way you think it is. Check things every day on different platforms.
• Simplicity: Too many of you have policies and disclaimers on your website that would scare an IRS auditor. Keep things simple in your policies. For example, save the discussion of penalties for noncompliance for when you're discussing your contract/agreement.
• When in Doubt - Use Your Phone: Rather than always replying to emails in writing. Have you tried calling the customer? Often, there are easy-to-answer questions that allow you to react even faster than through the written word. Plus, email and text messages are limited in conveying sincerity - whereas a phone call allows you to talk to the customer on a far more personal level.

And to the team at MLO - thanks for exceeding expectations and making yourself habit-forming. 

The true test of business's customer service fitness is not when things are going right-
but rather what is done when things go wrong.
Steve Ferrante