• An Example of “True” Customer Service

  Posted: Thursday, April 19, 2012

  by Lisa Raven

As an owner of a customer service training company, I’m always on the lookout for good service.  It’s like my dad always says, “If you own an orange Volkswagen, pretty soon all you see on the road are orange Volkswagens!”  So when a case of outstanding customer service reveals itself to me, I simply have to share it as an example of what I think all companies should strive toward.

 

I own 2 Tripel Karmeliet Beer Glasses – they are lovely and distinctive, embellished with a fleur de lis design.  One was broken recently, so I looked online for a replacement.  To my joy, I found them on www.TrueBeer.com.  It was pictured next to a bottle of beer, so it looked like the size of the glass that had broken – so I happily placed an order for 3.

 

When they arrived, I was shocked by how small they were – it looked like someone washed them on “Hot” and threw them in the dryer!  It was a “Mini Me” version of the glasses I owned, so I wasn’t sure whether to keep them or return them.  A few days later, I received an email from TrueBeer asking if I was happy with my purchase, liked the quality, etc.  I thought this was a great opportunity for some feedback, so I wrote:

 

Hi,

I think your products and service are great, but the glasses I ordered are much smaller than I thought they’d be.  Pictured next to the bottle of beer, they look bigger.  I have one already and it’s about twice the size, which is what I thought I was ordering.  My fault, I should have looked more closely at the specs.

So not thrilled with what I ordered, but happy with your company!

Lisa Raven

 

 

To my amazement, I received this reply:

Hello Lisa:

Thank you for your email and feedback.  We are sending you (3) larger glasses today free of charge.  The picture of the beer bottle and glass is out of scale and our mistake.  We are sorry for any confusion this may have caused. 

Thank you for your business.

Cheers,

Otto
Customer Service

 

My jaw hit the floor at this example of OUTSTANDING Customer Service!  They could have easily read my email, realized I was just providing feedback and not asking for any compensation and just moved on, forgetting all about me and my order.  But they didn’t.  They did what true Customer Service SuperHeroes do – they went above and beyond because they aren’t interested in “OK Service” or an average experience for their customers. 

 

True Service Heroes like True Beer shoot right past Average into Extraordinary.  And because they did, I am happy to sing their praises to anyone that will listen.  They have created not just a loyal customer, but an advocate – and isn’t that what every company wants?  Marketing can’t buy that – only a culture of true Customer Experience can.  Cheers to you, True Beer – you’re an example to be emulated!