Why Outstanding Customer Service Doesn’t have to be Complicated (or expensive)
This morning I had an almost flat tyre. Not an actual puncture, but something I noticed last night and forgot to deal with.
I was on the school run, so I had to make sure the children were dropped off on time, then I gently drove the car to the nearest petrol station and parked up by the air machine. Then I realised – I had been on the school run, so all I had was keys and my phone. No money. I needed 50p.
I did the regulatory scrabble under the seats, in the nooks and crannies and glove compartment and came up with ….36p. Not enough.
Faced with the choice of driving home and possibly damaging the tyre, or throwing myself on the mercy of the staff at the petrol station, I chose the latter.
“Excuse me, I need your help – I’ve got a flat tyre and I’ve only got 36p. Is it possible…….?”
I never got the chance to finish. The man behind the counter walked off, grabbed something and plopped a 50 pence coin into my hand.
I started to thank him and promised to call by later. He just waved me away and smiled.
Now, I am sure he is a kind man who just wanted to help a fellow human being, but he actually did so much more than that – through his simple act of kindness he made a potentially complicated day suddenly simple and helped a rather frazzled mother on the school run calm down instantly.
Longer term though, he will be the winner. Of course he will get his 50p back. But he will get much more. Because of my gratitude and the fact that I will remember that feeling of panic which he diffused, I will use his petrol station again. In fact, I will probably make a point of using it even more. So he will sell me petrol, the children will ensure we buy sweets and drinks, I will definitely use the car wash and it is likely that we will make various spur of the moment purchases, just as everyone does.
He will reap far more than 50p. Maybe knows it, maybe he doesn’t, but if he treats all his customers like me, I have a feeling he will have a very successful business.
So, if you are in Edmonton, London, go to the Jet Garage at 134 Hertford Road. There! Now he’s got a referral too!
See how that 50p has grown?
Happy Selling!
