Customer Service Shoes

I was at a chamber lunch the other day and got to chatting with one of my seat mates about my favorite subject.  Customer Service.  He told me about an experience his son had while working as the assistant manager of a national shoe retailer. 

“He was waiting on a woman who really fell in love with a particular shoe.  He didn’t have the shoe in her size in the right color.  Rather then talk her into something else or just send her on her way, he got on the phone and called around until he found a store – on the other side of the country – that had exactly what she wanted.”

Going the extra mile or just meeting the customer needs?  So what happened?

“She was so pleased with his efforts that she came back and brought several of her friends.”

That’s what customer service is all about.  If you keep your eye on exceeding customer expectations it pays you in the dividends of referrals and repeat business.

But there is a kicker to this story. 

“Yeah, my son did a great job but his boss yelled at him.  He said: You can’t devote that kind of time to a customer.  We need to just sell shoes and get on to the next customer.”

My lunch partner explained that eventually his son moved on to take on other stores and then regions and now he is a key executive in the retail world.  The secret to his success?  Putting the customer first.  Focusing on exceeding the customer’s expectations. 

I like that story.  Great success all based on the foundation of putting the customer first.  Do you have a story to share?