Let’s be honest. When you think of companies that provide exceptional customer service, I bet you DO NOT think of heating and air conditioning companies. Am I right? After all, how can some grumpy, smelly, unshaven guy in dirty overalls ever deliver a great customer experience? Well, this story may change your mind.
Real World Story:
A gentleman I met at a networking event shared with me the following story:
“I use heating and air conditioning companies on a regular basis as preventative maintenance on my properties. As a result, I’ve tried a lot of different companies. And this is what I have come to expect from technicians:
- Late arrival with no call to inform me, their customer, that he’s behind schedule
- Dirty clothing
- Dirty shoes that track debris throughout the house
- “I don’t care” attitude
- Unprofessional manner
- Household items left in disarray
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the last company that I hired—Bill Howe family of Companies. From start to finish, I received exceptional service and am excited to tell everyone I know about them. Here are the specific differences between other experiences and this last technician:
- Dressed professionally, was clean and smelled nice
- Called me by my name (“Mr. _______”)
- Put on booties over his shoes immediately upon entering the home
- Took care of the personal belongings and household items he moved
- Was friendly, professional, and a great communicator”
Remember: In a customer service interaction, customers will perceive bad or great service based on your appearance: how you dress, smell, talk and behave. Dirty clothing and bad smells will indicate to customers that you DON’T care about them and their problems. Clean clothing, nice smells, and great communication will leave customers singing your praises from their rooftops – and maybe they may even tell someone who will write about it in a blog post!
What GREAT customer experience have you had lately and what were your perceptions of that experience based on how your rep dressed, smelled and communicated? I’d love to read about it if you share in the comments section below.