A Tale of Two Brands
Unlike the novel by Charles Dickens, this is a true story. It is the firsthand account of two companies, one exhibiting the best of customer service, the other, the worst. Each incident left a distinct impression about their respective brands.
As an overnight family trip approached, with a new cat in the house and the neighbors who had previously served as catsitters having moved to Lincoln, I turned to the Internet for a solution. I found it in a nifty, battery-operated device that serves up to five meals according to a pre-programmed schedule. Since we would be gone perhaps 24 hours, all we needed was to cover three feedings. The cat would likely appreciate the time alone, as most cats do.
I ordered the product two weeks in advance so we could try it out. It served the first meal on time, but when the five-compartment tray moved to the opening, it left a gap exposing the next food compartment. Teasing a cat by letting it see its next meal but not be able to reach it is not the kind of amusement we had planned for her.
A call to the company was answered by a friendly voice who suggested a couple of simple remedies. When they didn’t work, he did his company and its brand proud – he offered to send a new product to us, via a major shipping company, and to do it with two-day service so that we would have it before our trip. He was pleasant and professional, asking several times if that solution was satisfactory and if there was anything else he could do. The replacement arrived in time and worked perfectly. All I had to do was print the return label that the man on the phone had emailed to me and send the defective product back.
We went on our overnight trip and came home to a content and properly fed cat.
One week later, I printed the return label and placed the defective product in the box in which the replacement had arrived. I put in the protective bubble strips, sealed the box with shipping tape and took it to a combination printing, packaging and shipping retail outlet for the major delivery company the representative had stipulated.
That’s when the experience turned sour.
The woman at the counter took one look at my package. “What’s inside it?” she asked. A defective cat feeder, I replied. “This box won’t work,” she said, and immediately declared it unfit for shipping. “But it’s the same box it arrived in last week,” I assured her. Didn’t matter. The “integrity” – her word, I kid you not – failed to meet her version of the company’s standards. “But that’s the same box you delivered,” I replied. She shook her head again, as though I must not be listening. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to the contents,” she said. “But,” I said, repeating myself, “it’s a defective product. It already doesn’t work.” Nope, she said. The “integrity” of the box was insufficient – and she decided to prove it by folding her arms, leaning forward on the package, and pressing down with all her weight. Guess what? The box was suddenly four inches thinner. I couldn’t believe what just happened. Neither could the other customer standing nearby.“ I’ll repack this box for you this time,” she said, as though that would raise my jaw from the floor, “and I’ll do it for no charge. But next time,” and she leaned forward as though my integrity was next to be tested, “I will refuse to accept a box like this.”Next time?” I asked. “What on your planet makes you think I’d ever come back here again?” Each of these experiences illustrates how important individual people are to the brands they represent.
The first person who helped me on the phone was well-trained and thoroughly prepared to handle the problem. He didn’t need to contact a supervisor or look up the proper response. He did his job and exceeded my expectations with his response. I was happy with the product and wound up with a very positive impression of the company behind it. I will recommend it to others. I am an advocate for that brand.
The second person left me angry and frustrated. From a customer service point of view, she failed on a level I had never before witnessed. It gave me a painfully foul impression, not only of her but also of the brand she represents. Which I admit is unfair, as she is just one of that shipping company’s 300,000 employees. But how many chances does a brand get in today’s marketplace? One chance has to be enough.
Integrity is crucial to the success of a brand and is an essential quality for every person who acts as that brand’s representative.
For a box, not so much.