Do your customers ever go the extra mile to thank you?
A customer insisted on buying this jeweler a drink from almost 2000 miles away!
I received an amazing email few days ago from a man named JR Yates. JR is a retail jeweler in Modesto, California and is operating several online shops. However, he didn’t contact me to sell me a ring or anything, he was just eager to share a pretty awesome going the extra mile customer service story.
We’ve been writing a lot of articles about bad call center practices lately, I think it’s time we light up the mood a little and spread some happiness. Last week, my colleague Art posted an article about customers so rude who force us to rethink the “customer is always right” moto.
My post will focus on quite the opposite: customers who don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to thank you for your service.
What happened in JR’s shop a month ago?
Everything started when Scott Mackey, Operation Manager, helped a man named C.J. purchase the perfect titanium wedding ring. C.J. was so amazed by the above and beyond service he received that he insisted on buying Scott a drink.
There was just one slight problem with this plan. C.J. lives in Minessotta, and with Scott being in California, just going to the bar next door wasn’t an option. However, C.J. insisted and asked Scott what was his favorite alcoholic beverage (Scott loves a good Long Island Ice Tea).
Few days later, Scott, received a large and heavy box. When he opened it, he was amazed to find 5 bottles of premium liquor. He now had all the ingredients to make a killer Long Island Ice Tea!
Click here to read the whole story!
It’s not the first customer who goes the extra mile for them!
In January, Steven who often helps out with customer service (and apparently dresses really well), received 2 bottles of premium red wine from a customer.
Steven helped the customer designing a custom ring using mainly phone and email (yep, that’s not an easy task). But what made this “above average” service is that he took time to pick up and photograph the stones. He also described the subtle nuances to help the customer have a better idea of what it looked like.
But that’s not it. Steven added a really touching personal touch when the customer’s mother passed away and he decided to write her with some comforting words. This didn’t cost him much but it shows just how much he cared about his customer as a person.
Result: 2 delicious bottle of red wine and a customer for life who won’t hesitate to refer you to their friends!
They don’t only sell jewelry, they sell dreams and emotions!
The big advantage of selling rings is that you often get to be part of someone’s love story. It’s great to meet people like JR, Scott or Steven who are passionate about their job and don’t look at the transactions but rather at what part their product will play in people’s life. They are all used to go the extra mile to please their customers and what better reward than having customers go the extra mile to thank them!
Why do they receive so many gifts?
Simply because when selling a ring, they make a magical moment possible. Picking up the perfect engagement ring is a really stressful but equally important moment in someone’s life. If I had to pick up a ring, I wouldn’t care much about diamong size, quality of the metal. A ring is something very personal and it is often associated with a really important moment. That’s why I would want to share with the person who sells me the ring. It’s not about the product, it’s about all it means and everything that will go on around it.
Let me tell you JR knows how to sell the dream. After spending few minutes on his website I read about amazing proposals, about happy people sharing the love. I am not so much of a jewelry person but I love what it can represent.
Rings are all about emotions but a lot of products are actually the same. Let’s say you want to travel. You’re not buying plane tickets or booking a hotel room, you’re buying adventure, relaxation, a romantic getaway…
Stop looking at your customer satisfaction statistics for a second and think about the last time a customer personally thanked you. Take a minute to think how you could create an actual relationship with your customers. Think about what your product represents to them. How it will impact their life.
Got any amazing story like this one?
Come share them with us on our blog! You can read the original article here: http://customericare.com/do-your-customers-ever-go-the-extra-mile-to-thank-you/
