September 22, 2013

FANATICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

By Greg Slamowitz

Do you love fanatical customer service?  I do.  Here is a recount of my recent, awesome customer experience (I am so happy I need to blog about it).

Several weeks ago, we dropped our daughter off at boarding school.  We were there for one, very busy and emotional day.   Because her new school’s campus is big, we all agreed a bicycle would be nice (and she loves to bike).

Sitting outside the school’s post office, I pulled up Safari on my iPhone and Googled for the local Eastern Mountain Sports store.  I immediately hit the “call now” button.  Rose answered and I explained to her my predicament.  We wanted a bicycle for our daughter, who we were dropping off at the boarding school across town, and we were leaving town that afternoon, so we would be unable to deliver it to her.  I then asked Rose if she could arrange for delivery to our daughter.  She immediately said, in a very positive and upbeat voice, “We have no process for that but we pride ourselves on going above and beyond for our customers so let me see if I can figure out a solution”.  She put me on hold for less than a minute, returned to the phone and said “We have a solution, one of our staff members will drive the bicycle over to her when it is ready.”  This was the answer I wanted to hear!

After our daughter was settled in and we said our good-byes (which wasn’t easy), on the way out of town, we stopped by the local EMS store, met Rose, and her colleague Vilius, who had volunteered to deliver the bicycle.  We purchased the bike and all of its accessories (helmet, bell, basket, lock etc.)(we spent a small fortune).  It took Vilius one week to order and assemble the bike and, as promised, he delivered it to our daughter across town at her new boarding school (of course, he called me on my cell phone the day before delivery).  We were all very happy.

Here is the point.  Yes, this made us very satisfied customers (so much so that I have been compelled to blog about this experience).  But this just didn’t happen by chance.  This happened by intentional design.  Leadership set a strategic vision: fanatical customer service (an excerpt from the EMS website on a page titled FANATICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE  reads, “At Eastern Mountain Sports, our store guides will stop at nothing to make you happy. It’s all part of our commitment to doing whatever it takes to earn your business and keep you coming back.”

Rose and Vilius knew that fanatical customer service was their company’s priority and culture and they were empowered to tactically execute on this vision without first asking for permission.  As the customer facing employees of EMS, they were aligned and liberated to tactically execute on leaderships’ clearly articulated strategic vision.  This is leadership.  Well-done Rose, Vilius, and EMS (and its owner, Versa Capital).

About Greg Slamowitz

Greg Slamowitz (www.gregslamowitz.com) is an entrepreneur, investor, author and speaker. He was a co-founder and former Co-CEO of Ambrose Employer Group, LLC, a professional employer organization (PEO), which was ranked among Crain’s New York’s list of the 50 fastest growing companies and was also recognized by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management as one of the “Best Companies to Work For in New York.” Greg co-founded Ambrose in 1997 with $95,000, never accepted outside funding, and sold Ambrose to Trinet (TNET) in July 2013 in a $200 million cash transaction. Greg has also invested in, and is on the board of, a number of early stage companies. Greg enjoys learning and teaching and has spent considerable time over the last several years meeting with entrepreneurs and business leaders and regularly presents his seminar, “Flip the Pyramid”, around the United States. Read about Greg’s presentation to the Morris (NJ) Tech Meetup. http://bit.ly/1rxbxB8 Greg’s book titled “Flip the Pyramid: How Any Organization Can Create a Workforce That Is Engaged, Empowered, Aligned and On Fire!” is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes/iBooks. http://amzn.to/ZrNw8a Greg has also spent considerable time in Washington DC with members and staffers of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives educated them about the challenges to and solutions for America’s businesses. He was a board member and president of the his industry’s trade association and founded and led its political action committee (PAC). Greg was instrumental in the passage of the Small Business Efficiency Act. http://bit.ly/1vprSd1 Greg is passionate about helping America’s businesses focus on growth, profit, hiring and creating an awesome and healthy experience for each and every working American. Greg was the recipient of the 2001 Ernst & Young New York Entrepreneur of the Year® award in the employment services category. Greg also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for Emory University’s School of Law. Prior to co-founding Ambrose in 1997, Greg practiced tax law with Brown & Wood (now Sidley Austin Brown & Wood) in New York City. He holds two law degrees – a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law, and a Juris Doctorate, with distinction, from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta. He received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from New York University. Please visit Greg’s website www.gregslamowitz.com, his LinkedIn Profile and Twitter @gregslamowitz His passions include developing highly functional organizations, engaged cultures, growth companies, health care and wellness, skiing and sailing (www.teammanitou.com) View all posts by Greg Slamowitz
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 22nd, 2013 at 6:52 pm and posted in Fanatical Customer Service. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

5 responses to “FANATICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE”

  • DLS128
    September 23rd, 2013 at 11:01 am

    Good to see that Fanatical Customer Service paying off so well for EMS! Great story, thanks for sharing your experience and providing an example of how top down customer care makes a difference in building, maintaining, and even recovering lost business. These employees were empowered to provide service outside the box and deserve at least this recognition. . .

    Reply
  • Greg Slamowitz
    September 22nd, 2013 at 8:19 pm

    Thanks for sharing your comment Antonetta!

    Reply
  • antonetta mosca
    September 22nd, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    I agree with you Greg,

    so much of this type of Customer service is becoming a rate event. It would be so nice to receive great service from every place we shop.

    Occasionally, when I see this type of service I say: Wow! how nice! and I pay a compliment to that person immediately.

    Should be that way ALL THE TIME.

    If I remember correctly, it was Sam Walton of the Sam’s Club and Wall Mart that built his chain from nothing, just by using a great customer service.

    Thank you for sharing your story.

    Antonetta Mosca

    Reply

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