So I bought a new car........

My phone rang, I recognized the number, ‘Oh no’, I thought to myself, ‘It’s Joe, the sales guy I collected my new car from only two days previous’. It can only be one of two things, he’s calling to give me a lecture about how crap the car I traded in was, or else there’s a problem with the finance. Either way he wants my new car back. Should I answer or just cower and let it go to voicemail? I answered.

Sales Guy: “Hello Roger”.

Me: “Hello Joe”.

Sales Guy: “Roger, temperatures dropped a lot last night and there’s a lot of ice on the roads, I just wanted to make sure you are ok?”

Me: “Why, yes I am Joe, thanks for calling”

Sales Guy: “No bother, I also just wanted to call and make sure you are happy with your new car and if there is anything else I can do for you?”

Me: “Thanks Joe, I am absolutely delighted with my new car and thanks for all your help”.

After additional pleasantries exchanged, call over.  I wipe the sweat from my brow and think, what a nice call, it only took the guy 30 seconds to make, but it made my day. I then started thinking further about my brief relationship with Joe.

It all started on a very wet Saturday morning last December when my wife and I decided to visit a dealership to view a car I admired and had been reading great reviews about. My only worry was, because it has a relatively small engine, would it be underpowered? I needed a test drive to see for myself.

On entering the dealership like two drowned rats from the deluge outside, I noticed a group of 3 to 4 sales people standing around, having a great conversation, laughing and ultimately ignoring my wife and I. Then a gentleman comes out of a doorway, notices my wife and I, comes straight over to us and says “Hi, I’m Joe can I help you today?”

After we proceeded to explain our needs, wants and likes and the fact that we would really like to test drive our chosen model with exact engine size there was a pause. He was not sure that he had one with the engine we wanted in stock. He proceeded to make us both a coffee and asked us could we bear with him for a few minutes – that he would either call back a sales guy who was not working that Saturday, but was driving one, or he would have a double check ‘down the back’.

After a few minutes wait Joe returns and says “I found one down the back, let’s go for a drive.” I drove, my wife sat in the front passenger seat and Joe sat in the back. The car performed extremely well and I was hooked. After I pulled over to turn around and drive back to the dealership, Joe asked my wife did she drive. After answering to the affirmative and after much persuasion from both Joe and I, my wife drives the car back to the dealership.

Back in the dealership, we agree on terms for a deal, but then my wife throws a curve ball, “I want one in black!”, she exclaims. Joe’s face goes red, “We only have a Silver or White in stock. I can order a black from the distributor but it may not get here until March/April. Alternatively I can ring around some fellow dealers to see if they have a black one in stock and are will to give it to me?”

“Please do Joe”, I said. So to cut a long story short, Joe sourced a black car from a fellow dealer, had it ready for me for collection for January 12^th, filled it with gas, setup all the cars settings, sorted the finance and let me drive away one happy camper.

Sales Guy: “Roger, temperatures dropped a lot last night and there’s a lot of ice on the roads, I just wanted to make sure you are ok?”

Now that, Ladies and Gentlemen is old fashioned, but brilliant customer service………….

"Your call is important to us"..........

While recently trying to pay a utility bill that didn’t go through due to Ulster Bank’s recent technical problems (a whole other story that I won’t get into now.....), I had reason to call the said utility company so that I could make payment and ensure that my service was not interrupted.

Oh, how I just love automated telephone answering systems, please dial 1 for this, 2 for that, 3 for the other and so on. While you are doing this, following the instructions, you are constantly being told by an automated voice that your call is important to them. When you eventually get to the department that you wish to speak to, you are asked to key in your account number. Then you are told that 'all operators are busy please hold', but at the same time being constantly reminded by that automated voice that your call is important to them.

However, on this particular occasion, I received a new option, the automated voice told me that if I pressed 6, my call would be logged as my number was on their screen, that I could hang up and that when the next operator becomes free they would call me straight back. Fantastic! I thought to myself, no more hanging on the line for 32 minutes listening to crap music, advertisements or being told how important my call was. The only problem is I pressed 6 on July 2^nd, it is now July 25^th (23 days later) and nobody from the said utility company has returned my call.

This has led me to start thinking about B2BGateway and how we handle our customer care. When I started with B2BGateway in April 2010, one of the key USP’s that was mentioned over and over again was that each B2BGateway client is assigned a dedicated Support Engineer. At first I thought to myself big deal, but now, even though our company is experiencing tremendous growth, I see how important it is for all our clients to have direct human contact. To actually have somebody’s direct dial number and email address, somebody to call that knows your business and requirements, somebody that does actually care and above all, as an organization, at B2BGateway Your call is important to us!

For more information on B2BGateway’s superior customer service call +1 (401) 491 9595 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net