Untitled - Hospitality Maldives

Total Recovery = Customer
Delight
Douglas, an elected delegate at the
Democratic National Convention in the
United States, dropped his Handspring Visor
personal digital assistant (PDA) onto the
stone floor of his downtown hotel lobby.
The outer case of the PDA was chipped in one
corner, but the software and the system still
worked. He called Handspring to purchase a
replacement cover.
‘Nothing doing,’ Handspring customer service
replied. They insisted that he needed a
completely new Visor.
‘No way!’, Douglas retorted. ‘Why should I
buy a new Visor, costing hundreds of dollars,
just to replace a plastic part worth a dollar or
two at most’
‘Oh no,’ the representative assured him.
‘The new Visor won’t cost you a penny. Your
current Visor is still under warranty.’
The representative promised to ship a brand
new Visor to him immediately, and then
explained that Douglas could ship the old unit
back in the very same box. She apologized
that the deadline had passed for next day
delivery, so the new PDA would arrive in two
days instead.
Two days later, as promised, a small package
arrived for Douglas at the hotel. Inside was a
brand new Visor – with complete instructions
on how to transfer data from the old Visor
into the new one, as well as a pre-addressed
courier delivery slip.
All Douglas had to do was transfer his data,
put the old Visor with the chipped cover into
the box, apply the pre-printed label and
then call the toll-free number to arrange an
immediate courier pick-up.
Douglas is clear and expressive about his
feelings: ‘This was truly delightful service.
I define delightful as something completely
beyond the expected, something that brings
joy to the customer. And I certainly received
it in this case. I give a big hand of applause
to Handspring!’
Key Learning Point
When things go wrong, you have a precious
opportunity to completely `Wow!’ your
customer. Do everything you can to solve
the problem in a fast, generous and very
convenient manner.
Handspring understands the value of a truly
delighted customer. Do you
Action Steps
What is a truly delighted customer worth to
your business in repeat sales, active referrals
and positive word-of-mouth Do your
policies reflect this understanding Do you
actively make the investment required Does
everyone in your company agree
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed innovator and motivator for partnerships and quality service. He is the author of the “Best of Active Learning!”
newsletter (free at www.ronkaufman.com) and the new book “UP Your Service! Strategies and Action Steps to Delight Your Customers NOW!”