By Christopher Thompson
Published Sunday January 4th, 2009 – Union Leader NH Sunday News
I think most consumers would agree that good customer service and companies going above and beyond to make their customers happy are a thing of the past. For reasons I have yet to figure out, many companies go about servicing their customers as if they don’t care about their business. I have found the feeling to be overwhelmingly mutual with many people I talk to. Consumers have grown to expect poor service and the impact of this trend in business has caused many companies to lose customers and most importantly, lose their reputation as a company that is easy to do business with.
Of course, there are always exceptions. There are companies out there who continue to put their customers first and do whatever it takes to make decisions that are best for their customers. They recognize the obvious fact that without customers, they have nothing. What a concept!
The example I’d like to share this week is a result of a poor decision I made when I backed out of my driveway and forgot that my wife’s car was parked behind me. Not only did I forget her car was parked behind me, I failed to look behind me as I was backing up. Several friends and family members who learned of this story also reminded me of the backup camera that displays a live video on a screen on my dashboard when I am backing up. I guess I forgot about that too.
By now you have figured out that my wife’s car and my car sustained some damage and required some professional body work to bring them back to their original state. Having limited experience with auto body companies, I asked my insurance company for a referral to a body shop with whom they have had good experiences in the past. As I did not feel like spending time searching the state for reputable auto body companies, I gladly accepted their recommendation and brought my car down to get an estimate.
The examples of customer service excellence were glaring within the first ten seconds I walked into their shop. The first thing I noticed was the owner’s office was right next to the customer waiting area. When the door was open, the owner could see the entire lobby and desks where employees interacted with customers. I also noticed the walls were decorated with the numerous awards and industry recognition the owner and his shop had earned over the years. It immediately gave me a feeling of peace of mind, knowing true professionals were handling my car and the owner of the company clearly had a good pulse on what was happening with every customer.
As I approached the reception desk, the woman who handled all of the scheduling was probably one of the most outgoing and personable people I have met in a long time. She immediately pulled out a folder with all of my information and had everything she needed to get me in and out of the shop as quickly as possible. Knowing the situation I was in was very inconvenient and a bit stressful; she did an amazing job making me feel at ease. She thanked me for choosing her company and proceeded to get the necessary paperwork ready. The best part about it was that my involvement was minimal. She took
care of everything from dealing with the insurance company, to calling the rental car company to arrange a time that was convenient for me to come back. They even coordinated having the rental car dropped off at the auto body shop in order to minimize the work I had to do.
The next example of service excellence occurred when my wife brought her car to the shop to get an estimate and at the same time drop off her damaged car and pick up the rental car. As they did with me, the auto body shop had coordinated the rental car to be dropped off and waiting. Our youngest daughter accompanied Mom to the shop and it turns out, it was the morning of her birthday. As the scheduling coordinator did with me, she struck up a conversation with my wife and learned it was our daughter’s birthday. The scheduling coordinator got up, gathered all of the employees and together they came to the customer waiting area for a group rendition of happy birthday to my daughter. They then gave her a moose stuffed animal, which proudly displayed a t-shirt with the auto body’s name on it. My daughter carried around the moose for days.
The final example of going the extra mile the auto body shop displayed occurred when I picked up my car. Keep in mind, they made one minor repair to the rear fender. My car had been professionally detailed and there wasn’t a spec of dust to be found anywhere on the inside or outside of the car. Talk about leaving your customer with positive thoughts!
I could go on and on about this company and the numerous examples of service excellence, but I only have so much space. Let me wrap things up with details of what every company can learn from this story.
You’ll notice that everything this auto body shop did was relatively inexpensive and surely didn’t require any massive effort. With the exception of the stuffed animal they gave to my daughter, there was nothing of value exchanged. Instead, the company has chosen to make an aggressive effort to ensure every customer who walks through their door leaves with a positive impression and has the best possible experience. It was obvious to me that every employee had the same mindset and was aware of the company’s goal. This in its simplest form is the major differentiator between companies who have a loyal customer base and those companies who consistently lose customers to the competition. I personally never thought an auto body shop would have a need or desire to master the art of customer experience, but clearly the team at Prestige Auto Body in Manchester has done just that.