Celebrating Customer Service Heroes: Surprise Your Customers

Neighborhood Cleaners on Lake Oconee has been my dry cleaners for a few years. Like all great dry cleaners, they pick up and deliver if you prefer. They are as ecologically sensitive as they are inter-personally friendly. They’ll do off-the-beaten-path requests like fix a tear, hem a skirt, or scotch guard your sofa pillow covers. They also do great recovery if there is a service hiccup.

One time one of their cleaning machines got rebellious and ripped a hole in my pricey dress pants. They reimbursed me the original cost of the pants along with providing world-class mea culpa. But, they went beyond the call of duty by sending my pants to an expert tailor who returned them to an “almost like new” state—on the house!

But, the best part is their propensity to deliver an unexpected surprise with an extra shot of generosity. We were having breakfast at a local diner down the street from the dry cleaners. At a nearby table sat the owner/operator of Neighborhood Cleaners, Gene Thurston. We exchanged pleasantries. He finished his meal and left before we got our check. When we asked for our check, the waitress informed us that Gene had picked up the tab, including our tip! They may crack a button or hang instead of fold a dress shirt once in a while. But, I would never consider another dry cleaner.

This is National Customer Service Week. It is a time to remember the importance of customers to the welfare of organizations. How can you make an unexpected surprise your gift to your customers?