Next to the actual product or service itself,
customer service is arguably the most important
component in an
organization’s image, reputation and success.

Case in point: While I’ve used the same local car
service for years, I’d never thought too much about them until last
Friday night. That’s when I connected with Kelley, a reservationist who
made me feel like a king.

What did she do? As soon as I mentioned my name,
Kelley broke in to ask if I was the same Steve Cody who wrote the
Repman blog. I admitted that, yes, that was me. Well, Kelley went on
and on to tell me how much she liked the blog, looked forward to
reading it each day, etc. To say that Kelley made me feel special is an
understatement.

In fact, Kelley’s extra special customer service accomplished several things:

– it made me feel great

– it reinforced my loyalty to her car service

– it will help offset any negative feelings the next time the service should make a mistake with a reservation.

An organization is only as strong as its weakest
link. Reaching out to, and connecting with, customers and prospective
customers, and taking the time to make them feel special may be the
only thing that separates one company from another. And, how well an
organization’s "points of contact" treat or mistreat its customers will
determine both its short- and long-term viability.

I hope Kelley’s employer values her services. As far as I’m concerned, she earned her paycheck with that one call.