After The Storm – Service That Wins Customers
Over the past week we have all witnessed the terrible destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy. Thousands of homes lost. Millions of people left without electricity, heat, or hot water. Hours spent on endless gas lines.
As the television newscasts continue to share images of utter devastation across New Jersey and New York, it’s hard to imagine anything good coming out of this situation. But I personally observed two amazing examples of service that delighted some very lucky customers.
Jason’s Story
The day after the storm, Jason reported to his job at an A&P grocery store. The store had no electricity, but they did have a small back-up generator. So Jason decided to open up for any customers who could get there. Here’s his story:
“When I got to the store, I was dying for a cup of coffee. The storm had kept me up all night, and I didn’t have electricity to make coffee at home. When I got to the store, there was no electricity there, either. But there was a small back-up generator. I realized that I could hook up a power strip to the generator and connect a coffee pot. So I went home for a power strip, returned, and made coffee for myself and my co-workers.
Before I took my first sip, customers appeared out of nowhere and asked where I had gotten the coffee. They too were tired, hungry, cold, and scared. And so I spent the entire day making coffee for our customers.
I have never seen so many people in our store! I have no idea where they came from. It was amazing how thankful everyone was – just for a cup of coffee. Many people said they had never shopped here, but they were definitely coming back. Everyone wanted my name, and someone said they were contacting the local TV station to come interview me. And all this because I cared.”
Anne’s Story
Anne Cohen, owner of Bernstein’s Fashions, takes great pride in the fact that women come to her from around the world for the finest high quality designer fashions. On the third day after the storm, Anne demonstrated why women continue to travel from far and wide to shop at Bernstein’s, “where tasteful and elegant fashion have been in business for over 60 years.” Here’s Anne’s story:
“We’re located in one of the areas that was hardest hit by the storm, and I knew there was no way we would be able to reopen the store before the weekend. But that meant that some of my clients would not be able to pick up their special orders, and I knew they had upcoming events. So I loaded my clients’ clothes into the car and set off to deliver them.
What should have taken me maybe an hour, ended up being an all day ordeal. I felt like I was in a science-fiction movie. There were bumper to bumper traffic jams, mile long gas lines, closed roads, downed power lines, and detours that took me miles out of my way. But I persevered and by the end of the day I was able to meet every deadline we had committed to.
I will always remember how my clients looked at me when I rang the doorbell and handed them their dress or gown. They didn’t know what to say! Many of them threw their arms around me. Some cried. They were so appreciative, they told me “You didn’t have to do this,” and “Thanks for caring so much,” and – best of all – “You can count on me being a customer for life.”
As I was waiting three hours to get gas for my car, I had plenty of time to process my experience. I really care about all of my customers – without them I don’t have a business. And as a small business, I have to be sure I find a way show my customers just how much I do care. The storm gave me that opportunity and I’m glad I took it.”
Your Story
Do you have to wait until disaster hits to show your customers that you care? What are you doing in your business to provide the kind of service that wins customers for life?