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So finding myself in need of an air conditioning repair I scrolled online the many who offer this service.  I had heard of several, had experience with a few, but decided to contact the company who originally installed the units in my home 10 years ago.  I had used them off and on, but not recently and had no feelings about them one way or the other. Nothing negative or positive came to mind.

Well what a difference a call can make!  I was pleasantly delighted when the gentleman answering the phone actually seemed appreciative that I called his office.  There was the initial greeting, but this time he asked my name and actually used it throughout the conversation.  When he asked about the issues, he showed he understood and repeated the problems as I described them.  He then proceeded to ask me a few questions about the unit and sought to look up my records from the original installation.  Not a problem that he couldn’t find my old records he said.  We will start anew.

His next statement blew me away.  “What day would you like service, Mrs Cowan?”  Seriously??? I, Mrs Customer, have a choice!  Fantastic.  “How about tomorrow morning?”  I said, still amazed at the freedom of choice I was given.  In all honesty, this is not the busy time for year for air conditioning people in Florida. Had this been June, that choice might not have been available to me, but the mere fact that he asked was impressive.

When we set the date and window of time, he concluded the call by thanking me for calling his company and giving them an opportunity to provide service.  He told me the service technician would have photo ID, call 30 min before arrival and be driving a company vehicle all of which happened as promised.

Such simple lessons but ones that can grow your business beyond your dreams.  Service Is the Name of the Game and if you master the language and actions of a service driven company, you wont be able to keep customers away.  From the small things like thanking someone for calling your office, to using their names, to asking the customer for input regarding the scheduled call.  These are the small things that make a company grow.  The tone of voice, the attitude of “taking care” of the person on the line are so important.  The warm, fuzzy words of welcome make a difference when someone is deciding to call you back or not.

The technician was every bit as concerned about resolving my problems as was his employer.  I would expect nothing less because as we all know, it starts at the top.  Employees will respond to customers as they see their employer responding.  They will use the same tone, same demeanor as is set by the top management.  It starts with YOU the owner.  Demonstrate the desired behavior to your employees by your actions and accept nothing less than the bar that you set.

At the end of my A/C call, the technician mentioned their annual service agreement. He referred me to their office for information.  When I called, I was given the pricing and told that my service call that day would be eligible for discounts under the agreement.  I signed up immediately, not only because of the deals, but because this company had gained my respect. I knew they put customers’ satisfaction first. That came from their treatment of me and my feelings of confidence in the standards of the company!  A lesson in Customer Satisfaction in real time.