| Remember that the majority of customers who have | | | | from their service station. |
| a complaint resolved to their satisfaction are more | | | | And yet I'm blown away by this gesture of just |
| loyal after the event than they ever were before the | | | | £3.98! |
| problem arose. | | | | My second story comes from Iain Grubb. Here's the |
| Now don't use that as an excuse to make a mess of | | | | story that Iain sent me: |
| things for every customer. You'll soon get caught out. | | | | "My neighbours had just got married and went on their |
| But, when things do go wrong, how can you win the | | | | Honeymoon to Bali and stayed at the Four Seasons, |
| customer round? | | | | the finest hotel on the island. |
| My first story is about my local Sainsbury supermarket. | | | | As a special treat they booked the Honeymoon Suite. |
| My wife, Maggie, had bought some fruit. But when she | | | | Upon arrival at the hotel they were informed that the |
| got it home we noticed that the grapes looked a bit | | | | Honeymoon suite was double booked for the first 2 |
| "manky" and the pineapple was past its sell by date. | | | | nights and so they would have to stay in a regular |
| So I volunteered to take these back to the store. | | | | suite. |
| Whenever I take something back I always feel a little | | | | The General Manager apologised profusely, but the |
| apprehensive. I've got so used to people being | | | | couple was not only angry but also quite upset as this |
| defensive that I'm almost ready for a fight right from | | | | was their honeymoon. The hotel offered a |
| the start. | | | | complimentary dinner, free excursions and bottles of |
| I went to the customer service desk and was | | | | champagne by way of apology. The couple went to |
| delighted when the lady there offered to refund my | | | | their room still slightly upset but pleased with the way |
| money. No questions asked. Just a very friendly and | | | | the hotel had reacted to the problem. |
| polite, "Sorry", and an offer to give me a full refund. | | | | On the second day the couple went on their excursion |
| She had exceeded my expectations. | | | | and returned to be informed that they could move to |
| But what came next was the icing on the cake. | | | | the honeymoon suite. They opened the door and |
| She simply said, "If you would like to go and select | | | | looked into the luxury of the suite, the wife bursts into |
| some more grapes and pineapple from the shelf and | | | | tears...... why? |
| bring them back to this desk, I'll let you have them free | | | | On the bed, spelt out in rose petals, was the word |
| of charge." | | | | "SORRY". |
| WOW! | | | | This couple now recommends not just this specific |
| Empowerment! | | | | hotel but Four Seasons Hotels anywhere in the world. |
| This is what it's all about. | | | | This example demonstrates how going the extra mile |
| Lose the battle but win the war. | | | | can add to the customers experience, it would have |
| I estimate that we spend at least £20 per week | | | | cost thehotel nothing for the rose petals, but the impact |
| on fruit. That's more than £1000 per year and | | | | on the customers washuge." |
| we've been shopping in that store for almost 15 years. | | | | What can I say but "WOW!" |
| We've spent over £15,000 just on fruit. | | | | What's your system for turning a complaint into a |
| We've probably spent more than £125,000 in | | | | magic moment? |
| that store in total including all our other food and petrol | | | | |