My car needed new tires. I mentally resigned myself to a process that would be awful and time consuming. I expected to be made to feel stupid and incompetent. In a nutshell, I didn’t have any high expectations. But—to say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.
Real World Story: Last week, I took my car into Discount Tires for new set of front wheels. I was told the two front tires were worn out because of my aggressive driving. What? Who, me?
I had called Discount Tire beforehand to see how busy they were and to get a “feel” for how I would be treated. The man who answered the 
phone was extremely friendly and helpful. He even said he would “take care” of me. I’ve been duped before by a friendly phone person full of deflated hot air, so I packed up my laptop, water, snacks and was ready for a full day at the tire store.
When I arrived, two employees were already helping other customers. However, seconds after I stood in line, one of the employees gave me a smile, made eye contact, and said, “We’ll be with you in a moment.” Hmmmm, he acknowledged me immediately, I thought to myself. As I was standing in line for about a minute, I started looking around. From where I stood, I could see into the garage. I noticed one technician staring at me. As soon as we made eye contact, he put down the tire his was holding, came into the office, and said with a smile, “Hi. How may I help you?” I was confused by his friendliness and his question. I asked, “What are you doing?” To which he replied, “Don’t you need help? How may I help you?” I was shocked. I told him about my front tires issue. He immediately walked out to my car with me and kindly explained what he saw. He even suggested that the problem was NOT a result of my driving but probably due to a lack of tire rotation. He was kind, knowledgeable, friendly and, most importantly, did not make me feel stupid.
We walked back inside the store, and he further explained what would happen and about how long it would take – 1 hour. He then handed me a bottle of water, introduced himself, verified my name, and asked if I had any questions.
Wow! I felt like he really cared about me and my car.
When my car was ready – 45 minutes later and 15 minutes early – I was again surprised. The man said with a smile, “Barbara, you’re all ready.” He then proceeded to tell me about all the free services that came with the new tires. He used my name throughout our conversation and wished me a nice day when we were done.
My, oh my, what a wonderful surprise. From start to finish, Discount Tire did it right. I drove off on my newly installed tires. And that’s no deflated hot air!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Answer the phone with a friendly and helpful tone.
- Acknowledge your customer within the first 20 seconds.
- Introducedyourself and address the customer by name.
- Explain the problem and solution in a caring way.
- Communicate the process and wait time so the customer knows what to expect.
- Deliver on your promise earlier than expected.
- Explain the follow up process if necessary.
- End your transaction with a friendly parting comment, using the customer’s name.
Remember: Customers don’t want to be made to feel stupid or incompetent. Customers do want and need to feel special and cared for. By taking a little time to pay attention to each customer, each time, you can create loyal customers who will tell others about you.
When was the last time a company made YOU feel special? Please share your stories in the comments section below.