Sucker

I'm a total sucker for service. Always have been, always will be. I can go to a mediocre restaurant and think it's the most amazing place if the service is amazing. And I'll keep going back over and over again. Is it this way for everyone? Presumably not-- but it certainly can't hurt.

I complain (a lot) about horrible customer service. And not in silence. I write letters, e-mails, complete surveys. I am my father's daughter. I would say that 99% of the time it does absolutely nothing. But every once in a while, someone-- or something, surprises me.

For those who know me, I'm extremely polite-- and smiley. I'm nearly always in a good mood and I'm very "please and thank you" even to the rudest of people (I find it annoys them which ultimately pleases me-- I mean, why ruin everyone else's day because you're having a bad one?). But in a customer service situation, I'm rarely met with the same courtesy in return. I thought it was bad in the US-- especially in NYC; but it's WORSE in the UK. People simply cannot be bothered. Why work in customer service if you cannot be customary or service-oriented? Find a job where you sit at a desk or don't interact with people.

Companies underestimate the power that positive customer service can bring to a brand-- and at very little, if any, cost. Just having someone greet you, offer assistance, remember who you are (even if they're faking it), being responsive and saying the four small words: "Have a nice day" can go a LONG way. It can inspire loyalty, return customers and, the all important and often elusive and overlooked, "word of mouth" marketing. I'd all but given up on having anyone so much as smile at me here until two experiences this past weekend bolstered my faith: one from an expected place, and another from a most unexpected.

The first was at the Four Seasons in London. Okay, okay-- cheating, I know. The brand is all about service, and they did not disappoint. I LOVE the Four Seasons. It's my favorite hotel and I would live there if I could. I've only ever stayed there for work but a rockin' weekend rate (since Canary Wharf is sort of out of the way and primarily a business district) allowed for a leisure stay. Literally from the doorman to the maid service, this is the best example of customer service across any industry hands down. We arrived at 9 a.m.-- well before their designated check-in time (3 p.m.) because we had an event to attend in the morning. But rather than point out their check-in time in a "you should know better" kind of way that you typically get, they tried to find a room for us. But as they were fully booked the night before, they were unable to do so. We weren't expecting to check in-- just to drop our luggage; but were pleasantly surprised when before even asking us if we wanted to check our luggage, they inquired as to if we wanted to use their workout facilities which had a fully-stocked bath and shower-room to freshen up. Umm-- yes please! We were ceremoniously shown to the lovely bathroom with all the L'Occitane amenities where we freshened up (from our 2 hour train journey-- well, why not) before returning to reception to check our bags. From there one of the staff took our bags and then walked us to the front door, apologizing for the "inconvenience" of our room not being ready 6 hours ahead of schedule and to make up for it, they'd upgraded our room which included an amazing view of the water. Okay, okay- so I'm not that much of a sucker that I don't realize that obviously they were not full and they had rooms to spare. But why don't I care? Because MOST places wouldn't do this. And that my friends, is why the Four Seasons is incomparable not only in the hotel industry, but in any industry.

The next came from an unexpected place-- GHD, the hair straightening super tool dominating the market today. Mine had broken-- there was some sort of short in the electrical circuit (which was causing some concern of potential fire). Now, these are not cheap things. At 99 GBP (before the 20% sales tax-- making the total price about $180 US), you expect these things to last. So when mine petered out a little over a year after purchase (and I nowhere near use this thing daily), I was a little miffed. I knew it had a 2-year warranty, but darned if I could find it. So online I went and found information about repairs and returns which required a proof of purchase only. Thwarted again. I knew I had bought it at my hair salon, but obviously didn't save the receipt. I was able to find what could have been the purchase in my bank statements, so I crossed my fingers, threw caution to the wind and sent it off to the designated returns address fully expecting it to be rejected or at best, to be charged for the repair.

A loud knock on my door early this morning found the Royal Mail standing at the door. "MRN! Did you order another power tool?" I shouted up the stairs. The negative reply had me opening the box to find-- a BRAND SPANKING NEW straightener-- the latest on the market and more expensive version than my current (which they still retail). Huh?! A letter confirmed that they had received my broken straightener, apologizing profusely for the problem and confirming that they follow the strictest safety regulations. AWESOME. Now I am a GHD loyalist-- not only for product quality but mostly for freaking good customer service. What can I say? I'm easy.

Now, I know these aren't necessarily crazy examples of people performing virtual acts of God in the name of good customer service. Maybe just another example of getting what you pay for-- or perhaps it just speaks to the lower (jaded) expectations that we as a society have. But I say hurray for the Four Seasons and GHD for their gold standard, above and beyond approach to service. Keep fighting the good fight. Leading by example, I think, is the way we change the world. Small steps.