I want to tell the story this month of a company to whom superior customer service seems to come naturally.
I moved into a new house in 1996. The shower stall in the ensuite bathroom had the name of the manufacturer emblazoned on it--for our purposes, we'll call it the Bathroom Fixtures Company (BFC). So, when the rubber strip along the bottom of the shower door deteriorated beyond repair, naturally, I contacted BFC to purchase a replacement part.
Trying to get assistance from them was like trying to get my eight-year-old to bed--nearly impossible. After several emails and a number of variations of "it's not my fault" and "it's not my problem," I finally contacted the president. I must say that he was helpful. He explained--as his customer service representatives could have weeks earlier--that sometimes builders buy the stalls from one manufacturer and the doors from another. It was not his door, he said, and suggested I call
Maax Bath Inc. I found an email address and fired off a letter to the company, asking about the part. It wasn't long before I was contacted by Benoit Doray from the Montreal office.
He didn't request more information, he didn't ask for pictures, he didn't deny ownership of the problem--all the hoops BFC had put me through. He simply asked one question: "What is your address so I can send you the part?" Within 48 hours, I had the part I needed. No charge.
Every customer contact is an opportunity to impress (Maax)--or not (BFC). Maax--and Benoit, in particular--clearly impressed.
I found it telling that their tagline is "Enjoy the experience"--a phrase that speaks not only to the experience of using MAAX products, but also to the customer-service experience.
As their Director of Customer Care for North America, Gary Lewin, said to me in an email, "It takes a lot of time and energy to succeed in getting numerous employees to understand the sense of urgency and what 'helping' and making a customer 'Enjoy the MAAX Experience' is all about."
It appears it was time and energy well spent.
Think about what happened. A customer service representative had been given carte blanche to help the customer. Yes, it probably cost them $5.00 to give me that piece of rubber for free. But look what they got in return. A happy, long-term customer--and a mention in
BRIGHTideas.
