Small Talk

February 26, 2010 »

Customer Service Done Wrong - Then Right!

Let me tell you a story of how one company dropped the ball on customer service, and then, much to my pleasant surprise, picked it up and shot a three-pointer… nothin’ but net!

Background

One of our fun family traditions is Pancake Saturday. We have a Rival® double-burner stainless steel table top burner, just like the one on the right. We then put a two-burner griddle on top of it and cook away! It’s simple, convenient, and works well. The kids, of course, particularly enjoy Pancake Saturday. We’ve used the burner for about 6 months, three or four times each month.

In late January, the knob on the right burner broke. I took the whole thing apart in an effort to possibly fix it or find a reasonable work-around. Alas, no such luck. I thought perhaps a replacement knob would be a simple solution. So like any wide-eyed, innocent customer, I contacted Customer Support. We exchanged a number of emails over the course of a month. In the end, Jarden redeemed their early customer service failures to prove that customer service is about service… for the customer. And in the process changed my dismay to delight.

Juggling the Ball

I’ll skip the long, detailed recounting of the emails to keep this short. In the words of Inigo Montoya: “Let me explain… no, there is too much. Let me sum up.”

I contacted Jarden support and asked about possible knob replacements. I got a very late response saying that they don’t make replacement parts anymore (huh? You still sell the burner new!). “Oh well”, I wrote back. “Too bad that it’s now a useless piece of junk.” I cleared it out of my mind. Time to switch Pancake Saturdays to Waffle Saturdays (our waffle iron is rock solid and works like a champ!)

Dropping the Ball

Then, out of the blue, I get an email from some customer rep from Jarden. Remember, I left this with an email to them saying “Ahh well.. I guess I’m out of luck”. Here’s the email:

Thank you for contacting Crock-Pot, a brand of Jarden Consumer Solutions.

I do apologize about the inconvenience this has caused for you. If you would like to purchase a new slow cooker, we would be happy to offer you a 25% discount if you call us at 800-610-6665 to place your order.

Huh? Crock Pot? Hello?! I wrote an admittedly snide reponse: “You didn’t read my initial support request at all, did you?”. I told them that it surprises me that they don’t stock knob parts given that the knob breaking is the most common complaint. It felt good to rant a little. Stupid, disconnected customer support, I thought. And then I once again put it out of my mind.

Redemption!

Nine days later, out of the blue, Jarden picks up the proverbial ball and swishes one from half-court. I suddenly see an email from JardenStore which looks suspiciously like an order receipt for a Rival double-burner for $0.00 with $0.00 shipping. Minutes later I get the following email from Jarden:

Dear Dan,

Thank you for writing Rival, a division of Jarden Consumer Solutions.

I do apologize for any miscommunication you have experienced. Therefore, I am sending you a new BD275 Double Burner at no charge as a customer satisfaction order. Your order number is xxx-xxxxxx, and your order will ship out of our warehouse within 7-10 business days. I am also sending you a UPS Pre-Paid Shipping Label, which will arrive separately by US Mail. Once you receive this label, please return your old burner and the shipping will not cost you anything.

Again, I apologize for any inconvenience.  We appreciate your business and are happy to help if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Jessica

Jarden Consumer Solutions
www.rivalproducts.com

Wow! Swish! 7-10 days later, sure enough, the burner arrived (on a Thursday). We were so excited we had Pancake Saturday a day early.

Thank you, Jarden! You took initiative, offered something that costs you very little but showed that you do appreciate my business. You turned me from a frustrated, cynical “post-customer” to a Jarden fan and probable future Jarden customer. Hmmmm… I wonder what else Jarden makes?

Lesson?

What does customer service mean to you and your company? Is it really service? Is it really all about the customer? Can you turn a bitter “post-customer” into a happy, re-engaged future customer? What is the cost to do that?

What is the cost not to?

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