American Customer Service

On January 20 President Obama eloquently described the economic crisis we face. Then he issued a stirring call to “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” For businesses that means resuming the practices that made our economy flourish – innovation, efficient execution and, perhaps most important, customer service.
A few months back a former waitress told how she prospered in the brutally competitive restaurant environment. She went the extra mile, greeting customers warmly, making sure they were served efficiently and responding to any issues they may have. Initially, this meant they left her larger tips. Since they had a good experience they would return to the restaurant. And when they realized the service she provided was better they asked to be seated at her tables. Over time she developed a loyal following of customers. There were times that other servers had no customers but she was busy. Today she is an entrepreneur. Using the same responsive approach to customer service Suzanne Clarridge has grown My Brands to be a success.
Kitty Van Bortel, President of two car dealerships, says what keeps her awake at night is the fear that one of her employees has treated a customer rudely. As a result, she describes her role as that of a customer advocate. For example, once a customer brought a new car in for a first service. The mechanic changed the oil but did not tighten the cap adequately. The oil drained out, the engine seized and the car broke down on the Thruway and was towed back to the dealership. Her mechanics realized it was their fault and quickly started to work on the car. But, Van Bortel knew the customer was thinking, “Whatever the mechanics do, this refurbished car will never be as good as new.” So she walked up to him and told him she was going to give him a new car with the exact same specifications. The look of relief on his face told her she had earned his trust.
Little wonder, then, that Americans are known around the world for excellent customer service. Visit service establishments around the globe and you come to appreciate the service you receive here. A telephone customer in Switzerland may want a detailed breakdown of his telephone bill to check if he was accurately charged. The Swiss phone company’s cold response is “We don’t make mistakes.” Go to a fancy restaurant in India and you will be surrounded by waiters. But ask for a cold drink and it can take several minutes to get it. Or, travel by train in Spain. Just make sure you arrive early or the train could have left.
Peter Parts Electronics buys products in Asia and distributes them to customers all across the United States. They help companies build a global supply chain for sourcing components. When Peter Parts meets potential customers he promises Japanese quality, Chinese prices and American customer service. Why? Because excellent customer service will bring customers back and that will help grow the economy. The task for businesses is to show they can meet customer expectations consistently and respond quickly and with empathy when those needs are not met.
Arguably, among the major drivers today of the Rochester economy are educational institutions. The customers for education are the community. People ranging from high school graduates to practicing professionals to seasoned businessmen come to college to deepen their knowledge or embark on new careers. The task for education is to provide the service that will enable them to pick themselves up and dust themselves off. The way forward is to provide American customer service.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.