Too Err is Human, To Receive Forgiveness Requires Customer S

I couldn’t understand it. My husband, Cliff, was calm! He didn’t have a single complaint; even though the hardware store salesman made a blatant error that caused a fiasco which included flames shooting from a melting valve and an extra hour’s pay for our handyman’s time.

I’ll spare you the details but the bottom line was this: Despite the salesman’s error, and the extra expense associated with that error, my husband had only positive regard for the store, and even sang their praises for allowing us to return the ill-recommended (and melted) part.

Under normal circumstances, an error of this type would bring out the “Gladys” in him, but this hardware store had done something that changed the whole playing field. And if your business does this too, you may find your customers will happily overlook an error or inconvenience.

What was it that this business did to turn a would-be lion into a pussycat?

The previous week, Cliff was on a mission. He needed a new Christmas tree box to replace the water soaked box that held our artificial tree (our sump pump backed up, but that’s an entirely different story.) Finding a large box that was big enough to hold the tree, yet small enough to slide neatly into our storage space was no easy feat. He couldn’t find one anywhere.

When you go above and beyond to help a customer, you gain loyalty points. You may need those points in the future if something goes wrong.

As a last resort, he went to a large chain hardware store, but they didn’t have an appropriately-sized box either. He asked a salesman if he might have a shipping box in the back of the store that would fit his specific criteria. The salesman said, “We throw away our boxes right away, but I’ll go back and check.” The man disappeared for ten minutes and returned with a large box (five feet by three feet, the perfect size.) He carried the box from the back of the store, all the way to the front and made sure the cashier realized that it was free of charge, so Cliff could easily leave with it. Cliff was amazed that the guy was so friendly, and took the time to track down the box, even though the store wouldn’t make a dime for all his effort.

Cliff had previously gone to a grocery store and an appliance store looking for a box. Workers at both businesses didn’t bother to look, they just dismissed him. It was a breath of fresh air to find a genuinely caring salesman at the hardware store who was willing to go the extra mile to help out.

When you go above and beyond to help a customer, you gain loyalty points. Cliff was still in the afterglow of a great customer service experience, so when he ran into a glitch the following week, he was quick to forgive and forget. After all, this was the place that made him feel special, and solved a problem for him. The memory of receiving that kind of service has staying power.

The next time you receive a nuisance request from a customer, consider the lasting positive regard your act of kindness will instill.

What do you think? Do you offer exceptional acts of service that gain you loyalty points and customer staying power?