Don’t let Customer Service bite you in the Ass

We have all been victim to disastrous customer service at one point in our lives. This could be from the horrible food server to the people at DMV. The stories are endless. Let me hear some of your mishaps if you are willing to share. We have all heard the saying that word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing. Will your business be on the positive side of this incredible marketing tool?

Let me give you a brief story that I have encountered. As many of you know, I live in Reno. Sushi is very popular in this small town. I have tried many sushi restaurants and have only liked a few. Overall, the food tastes about the same at each place but it all comes down to the customer service I have received. The restaurant I encourage the most is the sushi at one of the local hotels. They will seat you almost immediately and provide warm wet naps to clean your hands. Drinks are replenished half way through and ice cream is served at the end. These small gestures are a huge way to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Now this was a positive customer service encounter. Think how far a negative encounter will bring you in today’s Web 2.0 world. Have you heard of the song “United breaks guitars” by David Carroll. To make a long story short, this musician traveled United airlines and his guitar got damaged because of negligent employees. Mr. Carroll was given the runaround over and over until his claim was finally “denied” by Ms. Irlweg of United. Mr. Carroll realized he had lost a losing battle and decided to tell everyone about his situation. His final reply to Ms. Irlweg said that he would write 3 songs about United and broadcast them on YouTube. He was hoping to get 1 million hits by the end of the year. Well he has far exceeded that and United has a huge PR problem now. Check out the video below.



Don’t think that business is just about buying or selling a product. People will buy from people they like. When you open those doors, how will your company stand out? Will it be on the positive side of the spectrum or the negative?