Examples of Exceptional Customer Service

In today's competitive market, customer service is a key differentiator. The majority of customers say they will go with a company that has better customer service over one that offers a better product at a lower price. The best businesses in the world have great customer service and here are just some examples of how exceptional it can be:

The Google Limo Service

When Sergey Brin and Larry Page were trying to make Google the product it is today, they were having a hard time getting their website on the first few pages of search results for some popular keywords. They didn't have much money at the time so instead of hiring people to optimize their search engine rankings, they decided to rank it themselves. They bought, wrapped, and personally hand-delivered one hundred cupcakes with the following message iced on them: "Search Love - Google" to all of the companies who were running search engine optimization campaigns for their competitors.

The Apple Genius Bar

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 he wanted to provide the best possible customer service experience for customers. He knew that when someone walked into an Apple Store to get help, they needed their problem solved fast. Jobs wanted his employees to be empowered and trusted to make decisions. Since then, Apple Stores have become known for their exceptional customer service and quick turnaround times on repairs and services.

Amazon

Amazon is known for its "Customer service, make the customer happy" mantra. Their customer service is built around three simple principles: solve the problem fast; use the minimal amount of effort; and find an error if one exists. Amazon believes that mistakes are inevitable and they strive to keep them to a minimum while removing roadblocks in getting a problem solved quickly.

Ritz Carlton

Not all exceptional customer service is defined by speed and convenience; the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain has built an empire around its high level of personalized customer service, going so far as to hire only college graduates who are required to spend 3 years with the company before moving on (and most of those employees choose to stay).

Ritz Carlton has been featured as a model for exceptional customer service in several books including In Search of Excellence. They have trained their staff to anticipate guests' needs and exceed expectations. For example, if they notice that a guest is running low on toothpaste, they will provide another room's worth of toiletries in advance of the guest asking.

But even Ritz Carlton's famously high standards were not enough to please a customer who complained about her stay during a February 2009 visit. She called and asked that someone bring her fresh flowers, but when questioned by staff, she reported that the room had been "too hot" and that the window air conditioning unit did not work. Her room was instantly upgraded to a suite while staff made sure it met her standards while she was at dinner.

She returned to find "all the comforts of home," including gourmet chocolates, spa-quality bath products, flowers, and champagne. Additionally, all of her future stays were comped throughout that year.

Another customer checked into a hotel and asked that the hotel employees turn out all of the lights in her room before she attempted to sleep. Her request was noted and carried out, but one of the housekeepers felt sorry for her and brought up snacks and drinks so she could watch television while enjoying some company. The next day, when snacks and drinks were brought to her, she was surprised but very appreciative.

Best Buy

A Best Buy store in Richfield, Minnesota, the USA was running low on Nintendo Wii console systems. The stores had not received their shipment for the coming week yet, and they believed it would be gone very fast. One customer came in around 9 p.m. looking to purchase a Wii with his son for Christmas. As soon as the two walked in, they were greeted by an employee who asked if he could help them out. The customer explained to him that he was hoping to buy a Wii as a Christmas present for his son. The employee said that they were all sold out and there was nothing that they could do.

The customer, still hopeful, asked if he could look on the store's computer to see if any of the area stores had them available. The employee said that he was not allowed to do that, but he would be more than happy to call other stores for him and see what their availability was like. A little while later, after calling several other locations, the customer walked out of the store with a brand new Wii and a big smile on his face.

Zappos

Zappos is an online retailer that focuses on shoes and clothing. They have a unique approach to customer service where they always put their customers first to establish long-lasting relationships with them.

Zappos has been known to overnight customers’ brand new shoes or a replacement pair if they are not happy with the ones that they received.

In April of 2008, a woman from Alabama placed an order totaling nearly $400.00 with Zappos. She felt the need to contact the company and let them know that she had accidentally misspelled her credit card number and if they would please not charge it until she called back with the correct number. A customer service representative by the name of Roy refunded the charges and told the woman to take her time in calling back.

Unbeknownst to her, it wasn't until several months later when she called back with the correct information. She found that Zappos not only had never charged her credit card but also went ahead and shipped two pairs of free shoes she had ordered and never received.

Nordstrom's

When Tim Cook was eleven years old, he saw a customer berating the Apple store employees and decided to investigate what was going on- turns out that "he had tried unsuccessfully to upgrade the memory on his computer but it wouldn't work after he reinstalled the software." He learned to become an expert at upgrading the memory on Apple II computers and was offered a part-time position with free computer parts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's not difficult to provide exceptional customer service. If you put in a little extra time and effort, the rewards will be worth your while!