I have been at Ireckon for just over 4 weeks now and in that time have learnt a lot, with terms like CDN, Drupal, Wireframes and Cloud Hosting being thrown around it has been a steep learning curve, however I am enjoying the challenge.
On my first day I was asked to read a book called Raving Fans, I still enjoy reading a hard copy book and I haven’t caught onto the craze of reading on a Kindle or iPad yet, so I found a nice spot in the sun on a Sunday afternoon and sat down to read.
The book was about turning customers into raving fans, people who rave about your business and become advocates of it. It talked about giving clients above and beyond customer service. It really inspired me to think about the way I managed clients and I asked myself, was I giving them the best that I could. The book contained many great anecdotes and examples to help emphasise the point about great customer service; it also really highlighted the benefits that these raving fans can have on a business.
So I thought for this post I would talk about a real life experience I had with great customer service and how the raving fan principle applies. I was working around the house and needed to buy a few bits and pieces including screws, cement and drill bits. I was with my dad and he said he knew of a local hardware store just 5 minutes away. It was a small store with one person working and no one else around; the thing that alarmed me straight away was when we walked in – there was no greeting, not even the usual tradie grunt of acknowledgment. So after walking around for a few minutes and looking for a certain type of drill bit which I couldn’t find – I approached the store clerk and asked if he could help. Once again he didn’t say much and just walked over to the aisle – looked for a few seconds then said “we don’t have any of that type”. I quickly grabbed my old man and after getting a quick price on cement, we left.
I drove straight to Bunnings, and what a difference! We were met with a friendly greeting from the lady standing at the front, and after asking the information desk for the drill bit we were walked to the aisle and it was pointed out to us. However the man also asked what we were planning and after a quick discussion he actually recommended a different type, and then talked us through drills. In the end, we bought a whole new drill! We also talked concreting and he gave us a few tips before we purchased the bags for a lot cheaper than we had seen them previously.
After this I am not just a happy customer, I am a raving fan. It is so important to go above and beyond for customers and deliver that outstanding customer service. Leave them walking away raving about the experience they had with you and the business. I know I certainly have and recommend Bunnings to anyone and everyone. Just to finish I thought I would quote the book and this is certainly now always in my mind when talking to clients – “The key to success is to create raving fans.”
Have you had any experiences that turned you into a “Raving Fan”?
About Fred
