I received an excellent customer service story via email today....This one comes from Diane Ensey of Digitalgybe.com :
My husband and father-in-law own 80+ rentals and have patronized a locally owned franchise hardware store (Ace Hardware) for at least 25 years. The store kept a database of paint type and color used according to the property, so all we had to do is call in and say we wanted enough paint for the outside of 205 Maple. The paint would be waiting for us when we got to the store.
Two months ago the owner upgraded the computer systems (which frankly needed it). In doing so he decided that transferring over the landlord paint database was too much work, so he deleted it. Didn’t tell anyone until, of course, the next time we call for paint and they ask what color and the quantity. We have no idea – he’s kept all this information for the past 25 years.
So we go down the street to a paint store (Sherwin Williams). Now we’ve avoided this paint store because their paint is more expensive, not immensely so, but in quantity it really makes a difference. Within minutes of walking in we were assigned our own sales rep who actually went to all of our units, estimated quantities and took paint scrapings to be matched and created a database for us. He also told us that if we called in an order their store would deliver the paint to the site or our shop, whichever we preferred, for free. While we only needed a gallon to paint out graffiti, we were so overwhelmed by the service that my father-in-law pointed out that their paint wasn’t really more expensive at all – paying for the superb service was worth it. He was so impressed he even went back and bought a paint sprayer, which our sales rep showed him how to use and clean on-site.
The kicker – while we usually spend $700 – 800 a month at the hardware store (just equipment, no paint), last month we only spent $200. Not only are we not buying paint there, but it seems we are buying hardware elsewhere as well. All because the owner didn’t want to transfer a database to the new system. Diane, thanks for sharing this story!
Bravo Sherwin Williams!. Great story Diane.
Posted by: Jasmine | March 28, 2006 10:08 PM | Permalink to Comment