Above And Beyond

Are we headed toward the Customer Service Revolution? I think we finally are. As brick and mortar stores become less necessary, the old adage: the customer is always right will begin to resurface.

I recently had a fabulous shopping experience with an Amazon.com vendor,  Shop at Clares.  I had ordered a high-end ironing board. I was happy with the functionality, but there was a small problem with it. There was an awkward discoloration on the cover.

I emailed them asking if this was common and if it would effect the clothing that I ironed. They told me how to test it out. But then, they went beyond what they had to. They said that I had ordered something with an expectation of it to look a certain way and that if it bothered me in the least to let them know and they would replace it.  I was relieved and asked for a replacement cover.

In many customer service situations, it’s common to do the least amount to solve a problem. Had they not offered to replace the cover, I might have lived with it barring any ironing problems.  But since they went the extra mile to assure I was happy with the order, I left them a raving review on Amazon and will recommend and shop with them in the future.

When online shopping trumps brick and mortar stores, I predict we will see customers actions shaping the behaviors of brands, effecting not only where to shop but the product development as well (I’ll elaborate on this idea in a future post). It is the progressive companies like, Zappos, Amazon.com, and the smaller ones like Shop at Clares that will shine during this revolution. It is our hope at Trustworthy that we can help strengthen the relationship between the customer and the brand.