Customer Service is not dead!

Wow it has been about 6 weeks since I wrote a piece for this blog. In the mean time I have returned from the American Academy of Family Practitioners meeting in Chicago, been to San Francisco for the American Academy of Pediatricians meeting and have traveled to numerous locations talking to doctors and nurses in support of a product we have in development. Also I had to plan for next year. Life is good but very busy.

I know a bunch has been written recently about how customer service is a thing of the past. There are numerous examples of customers being treated poorly in the name of lower prices and lower profits. Just want to let you know the outstanding customer service is not dead. It can make your company stand out from the crowd and have your customers asking for you by name next time.

A couple of examples;

Have you flied on Frontier Airlines lately? Each plane is uniquely identified by the animal on its tail. Each seat has a small TV in front of it. If you want you can watch ESPN or other TV programming or a movie for a small fee. Just swipe a credit card. You can also monitor your position on a map of the US as you proceed toward your designation. They provide free headphones to listen to music. They provide a granola bar for breakfast and/or a small snack for lunch – all with a smile. The seats are not crunched together. All of this and the tickets prices are about the same price as the other carriers.

I stayed at the Serrano Hotel in San Francisco. The hotel is part of the Kimpton chain that has been acquiring and refurbishing hotels in historic buildings across the country. Their motto is “every hotel tells a story”. The Serrano, located on Taylor Street, is intimate and beautiful. The staff is friendly. The little things were not overlooked. They had the soaps and shampoos as many of the finer hotels do but the room also had a plush robe and slippers. They also provided a number of extras such as tweezers, sunscreen, a lint brush, at a small cost. Every afternoon they served wine and beer at no charge in the lobby. It was a time to meet other travelers and exchange stories. All of this at a cost no higher than the Hyatt and Marriott down the street.

Makes you want to come back for more. I’m sure I will.

Until next time – all the best!

RolandB