Santas = Good Customer Service

So I know I should write a Grinch today but I pretty much Grinch'd out from Friday and Saturday. So here is my missing Santa Claus post for Saturday, instead.

I complained a lot about stores and companies with bad customer service. (Shame on you companies!) That I feel the need to write about companies I've had good experience with... because if nothing else they deserve the recognition for a job well done.

The funny thing is thinking about good customer service is harder - because sometimes good customer service is simply completing the job as promised.

Like take Amazon for instant. I have never had to call them for anything. Everything I've ever ordered has shown up intact and on-time. Is this good customer service or simply doing what was promised when I placed my order? In a way I think it's good customer service since bad customer service seems to run wild. But the part of me that isn't jaded - thinks no this simply what was promised when I gave them my credit card. Good customer service is going the extra mile. It's making sure your customers not only get what was promised when they walk through the door, they walk out feeling good (and in turn loyal to the store).

One of my best examples of this is The Limited at VCC. I used to like The Limited - it had cute work outfits, a little pricey but good sales. Then I started going to the store at VCC and I fell in love with The Limited. Half of what I own or more comes from that store. If I go to VCC I'm going in The Limited whether I need something or not. And what changed my attitude about a store that I liked but didn't have to go to into something I can't live without? Well, their clothes and sales help but the sales people in the store always act like nothing you ask is going out of the way. I'm not talking about kissing your ass nice. I'm talking normal friendly - a hi when you walk in, a quick can I help you. It's starting a dressing room when you're holding multiple garments. It's being helpful but not annoying. And because I go there so often they remember me and well go out of there way to point out new things.

In response to my blog post on NY and Co here is how they should have handled the situation of me wanting to try on the shirt. It was late and K and I had swung by the mall after dinner to pick up one thing. I had begged him into running into The Limited when I saw "the dress". It was the prettiest blue and so simple but elegant. I had to try it on. They had a four and an eight so I scooped them up and ran into the dressing room. Let me tell you right now it's almost 9:00 pm (closing time). I try on the dresses, the eight is too big, the four is a tad too small (you know the type of outfit you're afraid to dry or eat too much because it might not fit). I was bummed. The sales girl offered to call another mall for me but I said no, it was ok.

We started to leave and there in the window was the dress on a mannequin. I rushed back inside and dashed into the display. It was a six. I found the sale associate and asked her if I could try it on. I fully expected since they were five minutes away from closing a no but she dutifully got the dress of the mannequin and let me try it on. She never complained to my face. She said it was no problem and let me know if I needed anything else. I bought the dress.

But it's more than the dress (which I wear all the time), its the fact that she not only did her job, she went out of her way to do her job well. She could have grumbled that I should try on something else or refused to undress the mannequin and I would have probably been okay with it since it was so late but she smiled and said okay.

So kudos The Limited.

The sad thing is this is one of the only stores I can think of off the top of my head where a company went out of their way to do something for me. I'm sure there are others but I'm so discouraged about customer service these days they aren't flowing freely. So share your own good stores about companies and stores and if I can think of others I'll add them.