17 Oct A Politician, Credit Card Rep and Sales Manager Walk into a Bar…
Jeb Bush walked into Starbucks last Monday morning without pretension. No entourage, no security detail.
So what did I love about the moment where I walked up to Jeb, firmly shook his hand and told him I knew he wanted a picture with me? (Yes, I did say this verbatim.) First, he graciously replied that of course he did. I felt a sense of accomplishment that I was able to shake hands and have a picture made with a presidential candidate so easily. Yes, I felt like I got something for nothing.
Fast forward to yesterday. Andy and I were each buying a pair of sunglasses at Sunglass Hut. I nicely asked that a cleaning kit be thrown in due to the $400 sale they were making. The sales associate replied, “I wish I could, but I can’t.” Then, both of our American Express cards were denied, which we later learned from Am Ex that this store has a high level of credit card fraud.
The representative at Am Ex handled the denied card/potential fraud incident in a manner that makes them credit card rock stars. Not only did they contact me to ensure everything was copacetic, but when I asked for the 400 missed-out points, I was given 2,500 points for my inconvenience. Andy also received 2,500 points.
Imagine my dismay when I went to look for my new sunglasses this morning, and my pair was nowhere to be found. When Andy called the store, the manager admitted they somehow forgot to put them in our bag. When Andy went back to the mall to retrieve the left-behind glasses, he asked for two complimentary cleaning kits. The store manager reluctantly handed them over, but not before stating the regional manager didn’t like the idea of giving them away.
Compare the experiences provided by these three examples:
- Jeb provided a good experience, as I didn’t have to wait in line and/or pay a significant contribution. Whether he has my vote is up in the air, but I do have a better sense of his approachability.
- American Express provided what they do naturally—excellent customer service—by going above and beyond. I reach for my Am Ex card anytime I make a purchase, because I am confident if anything happens, it will be handled.
- Sunglass Hut, on the other hand, provided at best a poor and frustrating customer experience. They had several opportunities to resolve the messed-up purchase in a positive manner. It is safe to assume I will never step foot into a Sunglass Hut again. It is also safe to assume they have no clue how their actions (and reactions) impact their sales.
I have written about the customer experience before, but it bears repeating. An experience can be exceptional, good, average or poor. The most important takeaway is that no matter what the experience, it will be memorable to your customer. It is everyone’s job at a company to ensure that the memorable impression is a favorable one.