I recently had a call to ship a critical package for Saturday delivery so I decided to try the new local retail store supported by one of the nation’s mega-shippers. The delivery had to be made on Saturday because the product expired the following Sunday. As business people you know your reputation often rides on the actions of others. I was counting on this service. I wrapped my package, carefully selected “Saturday Guaranteed”, and happily paid the overpriced bill. To make a short story longer it was not delivered for several days. I called and requested a refund for the shipping and was told they would place a “tracer” on the package and call me back. No phone call ever came. I called again a few days later and was told “we won’t process refunds until the package is delivered, we’ll call you back”.
“Hmm…..doesn’t that encourage you to ‘lose’ my package altogether”, I wondered. Yes, I’m a skeptic. I inquired about the possibility of a refund for the contents since they were time sensitive and was assured the outlet would make sure that happened for me. They weren’t expensive, $55, but I had to process a refund since the product was not valid upon arrival.
The package was eventually delivered and a refund processed. I was called to pick up the check in the store location (days after the refund appeared online and I’d been told the payment would be delivered). When I arrived it was for the shipping expense only. I was then told “the package was delivered so we won’t pay for it since it wasn’t lost.”
By now my list of complaints has grown. My package was not delivered, the tracking information was inaccurate, I was promised return calls that never came, I was promised compensation that never came, I’ve been inconvenienced, and to top it off no one was going to bring it up until I asked – let alone apologize. This outfit had jeopardized not only a few dollars, but my reputation in the marketplace. I was hot.
I turned to the clerk and said “Now I know to use the other guy where ‘guarantee’ means something.”
“Fine.” That was all he had to say. That, my friends, was the wrong answer.
We all have stories like this. The bigger the company the more the underpaid counter clerk can remain anonymous – there is no authority figure to be accountable to. The public is less likely to complain to mega-companies because they have been de-sensitized to bad service and know it will fall on deaf ears.
The bottom line – To follow through with their promise to refund the measly $55 would have made the company thousands in future sales. By not honoring the promise they have sent those thousands to the competition. This could have been the best bang for their buck in advertising dollars. Companies spend millions on advertising for the slim chance that it generates revenue (1-15% of all advertising messages result in a sale). This chump change would have had sold 100% of my business. Good customer service may seem costly in the short term, but in the long run it pays well.
