The art of making a customer feel as if they are the only one you are serving can be a challenge for customer-facing employees.  It is easiest to provide personalized service when a repeat customer has shown certain preferences or displayed distinct patterns in their behavior.  Now insert a computer screen or a telephone as a barrier between employee and a transient customer and providing personalized service, although still possible, becomes even tougher.  

The following phone interaction is a common occurrence:

I recently received a phone call regarding my free Sirius satellite radio subscription coming to an end.  Once the sales representative determined that I was the correct person they were trying to reach, they read from a script at lightning speed reminding me of what subscription choices were available.  I had to ask them to slow down.  They never took the time to ask if I was enjoying the introductory service that had come complimentary with my car.  

In comparison, I received excellent service over the phone while speaking with a customer service representative from a national security company.  I had called to schedule a service technician to come out to our home for add-on services and was pleasantly surprised by our brief phone dialogue. 

  • Once customer service rep reviewed my requested punch list items and understood that a kitchen renovation had just been completed, she asked me if I had any color preference for new wireless access points as she wanted to be sure it matched our new slider door.
  • The customer service rep also proactively asked if I was familiar with the slimmer wireless access points and recommended that we use this on the slider door to keep things understated. 
  • When it was time to schedule the service appointment the first available appointment conflicted with a wedding I would be attending so we selected another mutually convenient day/time.
  • After the call the customer service rep, who had been listening, wished me a nice time at the wedding.    

What companies have wowed you lately?