Recently I had an outstanding customer service experience in my small town in Connecticut. My wife and I decided that a 100+ year old walnut tree needed to come down. It was now a risk to our house in a storm, and we decided it needed to go.
So we called a company we have used before, Wallingford Tree Services. The owner asked if we could do the job on a weekday because his guys had been working a lot of weekends. But that would not work for me, so he accommodated me and we scheduled for a Saturday. (Sales Lesson #1: Accommodate the customer)
His guys showed up exactly on time last Saturday, with a great attitude. The crew of four introduced themselves, surveyed the job, asked me to describe exactly what we wanted, and then got to work. (Sales lesson #2: Even though they didn’t want to be there on a Saturday, they never showed it. Their attitude was great all day.)
I have two little kids who were fascinated to watch a 150 foot tall tree taken down. But all day long they stopped chainsaws when the kids were outside, and were aware of safety. They also spent time with my son during their lunch break. They were polite and patient, and I never heard a single word of profanity. (Sales lesson #3: They represented the company well, above and beyond their specific area of expertise. In other words, they did more than just take down the tree. They were nice guys.)
And finally, at the end of the day, they gave me extra time to help me cut up the extra limbs for firewood, they helped me stack it, and they cleaned the entire yard. (Sales lesson #4: Go above and beyond for the customer, and leave on a good note.)
My point here is not specifically to promote Wallingford Tree Service. My point is to call out an outstanding customer experience. If you want to drive sales, you need more than a new business strategy. You also need a “keep my current customers happy” strategy. Nothing they did was complicated. It was all common sense. But they did it incredibly well. They did all the little things well.
You want to grow your business? Start by looking at the customer already right in front of you.
They left the house at 6pm (well beyond the estimated time), with a generous tip, and a glowing voice mail waiting for their boss.
Have a great day.
Comments