No, this is not a story about a pair of $20 Choos. C’mon now. That’s called a fairytale.
I can count the number of times on one hand the number of times I have worn my Jimmy Choo wedding shoes. I went to New York City to make the special purchase and for the amount I spent, I NEVER thought a bow would fall off while dancing at a friend’s wedding last weekend. I took the shoes back to the retailer, explained the situation, and figured they would fix the bow. Shock and disappointment filled me as I walked out of the shoe department, downstairs, headed back onto Michigan Avenue. “Nope, sorry. They are over a year old. You are on your own” That’s the answer I got from the sales lady.
On my way out, I passed a manager and just had to explain my disappointment with the situation. “You make a decision: Do I cover the $20 repair fee and keep a client or say “no, sorry” and lose a client.” The manager gave me his card and had me email him the next day, which I did. He asked me to bring the shoes in and he would cover the repair. He values my business and knows the importance of a single poor experience.
Point of this story: Are you thinking long-term and doing the little things for your customers to keep them happy?
Customers remember and repeat the BAD experiences but also the SPECIAL experiences. The personal touches to make customers feel VIP keep them around.
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