While on holiday this past week, I was at my parents’ when a new set of stainless steel appliances was being delivered. Delivering heavy appliances is a tough job on any day; yet as most of you are aware, it has been over 107 degrees most days in the south. This day was no exception and you could cut the hot humid air with a knife. This gives new meaning to the phrase “this job was some heavy lifting.”
What my parents and I experienced in this short 45 minutes was nothing short of amazing. Our exposure to the two delivery men started with a jovial call earlier that morning saying they would be at the house at 11:15 a.m. – which was 45 minutes earlier than the promised time. And promptly right at 11:15 a.m., they arrived.
“Good Morning! You must be Mr. Kaufman?” The energetic greeting was something one might expect on a Sunday morning at church, not necessarily by a Sears delivery team hoisting several hundred pounds of metal in the heat of the day.
The ultimate customer service experience continued to build from there.
- Happy, friendly conversation with ear-to-ear smiles throughout the entire interaction.
- Thorough knowledge of the appliances.
- Ultimate care and take charge demeanor throughout the installation.
- Attention to cleaning up after the installation – down to wiping down the appliances.
- Gratitude for the business and solicitous inquiry for feedback to improve in the future.
Does it get any better than that?!
These two men, Roy and Fred (we nicknamed Little Roy and Big Fred due to their ‘Mutt and Jeff’ disparate sizes and statures) obviously LOVED their jobs. They wanted to exceed the clients’ expectations. They wanted the customers to be delighted, not only in their new appliances, yet also in the overall experience.
We were.
The simplest of exchanges resulted in a raving fan and delighted customer. It is amazing what happens when an individual LOVES what he/she does and is committed to being the BEST in the service he/she provides. What so many of us could learn from this example! If this is the standard approach of a Sears delivery team this could perhaps be a turnaround in the making.
Customer Service? Have been doing a lot of reflecting this summer about it and have a few thoughts of my own. You mentioned “LOVES what they are doing” as an example of giving great customer service. WELL, what happens when a person has a position/job and really HATES what they are doing? Does Customer Service goes out the window. I am thinking that “we” as a collective group need to take the need of emotional attachment to a job and just did a stellar performance because that is the right thing to do. Maybe Little Roy and Big Fred just did a great job because they had a great work ethic and that doing a job correctly was the payoff.
I have been going to many many networking events and chatting with folks who are unemployed. One of the BIG misconceptions out there it that they want a job they CAN LOVE. Well, I hear to testify, some jobs are tough to LOVE, but it is a job.
Not saying don’t have dreams, don’t have passion. What I am saying is sometimes “we” need to do things without having to LOVE it and still give the customer the stellar experience.
What say you.
This is just SO TRUE! We rarely see this sort of customer care anymore. good customer care is CRUCIAL in every business. Just so sad that so many people do NOT like their jobs – therefore hard to smile. Thanks for sharing
Thank you. A wonderful message to start the day. Just a thought: sometimes we don’t love what do, but love the person, persons or organization for whom we do the job, and that makes the job easier and even rewarding. Nancy
There is an ancient adage that admonishes workers to remember that “One knows the craftsman by his work”. Certainly it relates to pride in doing your best at whatever it is you do. Our parents tried to impart this to us when we were young.
why, most of tomorrow’s achievements are built on the stepping stones of today.
It helps if one loves their work but it is imperative to understand that success comes from within. The workers you cited had enthusiasm,a word derived from the Greek language meaning, “God within”
I had a similiar very positive experience with the Sears repairman…mine even retrofitted the old diswasher handle to the new one so all my appliances continue to match!!!!
Dear Kristin”:
Babs and I are looking forward to seeing the newly istalled appliances at 212 Violet Street when we go to Arkansas near the end of September. It is very uplifting to have a requirement satisfied by such competent and happy personnel. I remember one time when I had a cable television employee working on my computer and he continued to say, “God, I love my job!!!”
We love reading your messages and seeing your picture, and that cheers us tremendously. We love you. Babs and John