Old Fashioned Customer Service in a Word: COOL!

We're in Georgia this week, enjoying, thanks to technology, the ability to work from just about anywhere along with spending quality time with family.

I ran an errand this morning, to get a fire fixed on our kid's minivan. The tire met a nail along the road, and while the leak was a slow one it needed to be fixed.

I took the car to Discount Tire in Buford, Ga. (A norther 'burb of Atlanta) They quickly got the vehicle into a service bay, there was bottled water and fresh coffee while we waited and the repair was done quickly. They also took time to check all the tires, lug nuts and other tire stuff.

They pulled the van around front and we were ready to go. No Charge! Getting a nail in a tire wasn't their fault but they fixed it free. They're betting that good care and customer service will lead us back to that store when it comes time for future business. They're not alone. Back home in Colorado we frequent Grease Monkey in Highlands Ranch, have done so for years because they just treat us so nicely.

The whole thing is Business 101. Treat everyone like a valued customer and they'll likely become just that, valued customers. Even better, we're likely to recommend these businesses to our friends and neighbors. Which in this blog, I'm doing!

Sadly, I don't think they teach this at the fancy business schools. Thankfully they do at companies like Discount Tire and Grease Monkey.

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations

Good Customer Service Ain't Brain Surgery.

When it comes to airline travel, service not size, matters. That's the point of this story from USAToday. It's no surprise that Southwest, JetBlue and Frontier top the list in customer satisfaction. The "Big" carriers like US Airways, United, Delta and American are at the bottom. Deservedly so. Old planes, cranky crews and money gouging.

I wasn't surprised. My wife and daughter recently flew Southwest and when I met them at baggage claim they raved about the customer experience. Certainly no charge for bags and the quick and efficient boarding process helped, but for them the flight itself was fun.

Southwest is known for often times humorous pre-flight announcements. I mean, how can you be serious when demonstrating to people how the seat belt works? Insert and click. It ain't brain surgery so why treat it as such?

During climb-out after takeoff the cabin crew started tossing snacks down the aisle. Passengers were urged to grab, share or pass further down the aisle.

When they taxied up to the gate, one cabin attendant kept passengers posted as to how close they were getting. "We're almost there....just a little bit more....just inches away...." then when the familiar "Ding" tone came when they were at the gate this announcement:

"GET OUT!"

The next time you're at baggage claim, take a moment to listen if anyone is talking about the actual in-flight experience with enthusiasm. They're likely Southwest passengers.

Another thing that makes Southwest stand out is they make a profit year-in and year-out. There are lots of reasons for that, not the least of which is they're a well-managed airline. They fly the same type of aircraft fleet-wide, have mastered efficiency and marketing and most of all they understand the most basic of business principles: Good Customer Service.

What a concept. You are now free to move about the country.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversations about you"