Our sound system was on the fritz. Had been for some time. And after being tempted by a non-stop barrage of Prime Day advertising, I was primed to see what kind of a deal I could scoop up on a new system. After thoroughly researching a decision was made. Success! A great deal on something we actually needed.
When it arrived, there was general excitement. Until it was turned on. It sounded bad. Really bad. We tried everything suggested in the directions and online tips to make it sound better. The voices continued to sound like the people were talking in a tunnel, from far away. But we felt we might adjust. So, we tried. But, we didn’t.
I don’t normally leave reviews. In fact, I never leave reviews. However, when prompted a few days later by Ultimea (the soundbar manufacturer) for a review, I left 2 stars and the following, “Sound is tinny and not good for voices.” Then never gave it another thought.
A few days later I received the following email message, “Perhaps our product does not meet your requirements, but we hope to impress you through enthusiastic and sincere customer service.” Wow. The message included a link to a my “offers” to make it better. I stared at the link for at least a day. Didn’t seem quite right. It had to be a scam. But I eventually determined that it was legitimate.
I thought of Annette Franz, the founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc. She has said, “In a world where products and services are becoming more and more commoditized, customer experience is the only true differentiator.
The number one priority for the majority of organizations is to improve their customer experience (CX). But what exactly is CX? According to Hubspot, “customer experience is the impression your customers have of your brand as a whole throughout all aspects of the buyer’s journey. It results in their view of your brand and impacts factors related to your bottom-line including revenue.”
In my case I was provided with two options: a personalized customer service walk-through to assist with fixing the sound, and a $30 gift certificate as an apology; or a totally new upgraded model replacement. I let them know we preferred the second option. I still thought there would be strings attached. But there weren’t.
The pre-paid postage label arrived right on time to send the old soundbar back. The new upgraded sound system arrived the same day. It was wonderful. It still is.
Yet I kept getting emails asking me if I was satisfied. Several a day! It wasn’t until I read their customer warranty that I understood what was happening. Their customer service warranty is, “To impress you through enthusiastic and sincere customer service.” It’s part of their core values.
Once I let them know that I was truly and totally satisfied they thanked me profusely and hoped that I would always enjoy my new soundbar. And if not, they asked me to please let them know. Immediately.
Why tell this story? Because they got it right. Absolutely. Totally. It is the perfect example of what so many of us strive for in marketing – true connection with our clients and customers. As people. Not as transactions. Now I’m telling everyone about this experience – including you!
Can everyone hit it out of the ballpark every time? Probably not. But that should be the goal -shouldn’t it? Intentions don’t mean a thing if they aren’t backed up by sincere action. In the words of Google founder Larry Page, “Always deliver more than expected.”
Stacy Cornay is the owner of Communication Concepts Public Relations & Advertising.
She may be reached at 303-638-7127; scornay@comm-concepts.com; www.comm-concepts.com; Facebook.com/Communication Concepts; X @CommConceptsPR; or Linked In.