Caring About the Customer vs Caring About the Money

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on October 7, 2009 under Customer Moments | Be the First to Comment

Terri Maurer of Maurer Consulting Group recently sent me an email after reading my October newsletter article entitled “Take Your Money to the Competition.”   Terri shared this story:

I recently bought a WiFi card for my PC at Radio Shack, only to get home to find our son had one that he purchased and couldn’t use on his MAC.  So, of course, I used the ‘free’ one and the other one sat on my desk a number of months.  When I looked at the receipt, it clearly stated they had a limited time for returns, but I took it in anyway to see if they would at least give me a store credit.  Price:  about $35.  They pleasantly took it back, credited me credit card account and kept a customer.  
About this same time frame, I had ordered a $30 telephone amplifier as my 91-yr.-old was moving in with us and has hearing problems.  When I contacted the company…who also had a strict 30-day return policy.  In spite of the fact that the item had never been opened or used, the customer service woman repeated the policy to me (via e-mail).  I responded to her with a message thanking her for her prompt, although disappointing, response and informed her that I would certainly remember their policy when looking for their products in the future and share it with my widening group of friends and colleagues with elderly parents.

Lesson learned:  Radio Shack was more interested in keeping me as a customer, the others cared only about that $30 sale.  Radio Shack customer experience:  100%…’other guys’ customer experience:  0%.  Radio Shack:  brilliant..’other guys’ really, really stupid!

Terri reminds us of a simple truth:  Companies who live by their POLICIES will die by them as well.  Are your policies more important than the customer with whom you are dealing?

More important thought:  YOU as the manager/entrepreneur/owner, certainly understand that rules were meant to be broken and are there to serve as a guideline, BUT DO YOUR EMPLOYEES? 

One of the things that makes the Ritz Carlton so customer friendly – all of their associates understand the power they have to ensure each guest has a great experience and the associates are challenged with making that a reality. 

Do your employees understand that although you have policies in place, there are times when those rules should be bent just a little when appropriate?