| Douglas, an elected delegate at the Democratic | | | | company's customer service quality. |
| National Convention in the United States, dropped his | | | | All Douglas had to do was transfer his data, put the |
| Handspring Visor personal digital assistant (PDA) onto | | | | old Visor with the chipped cover into the box, apply the |
| the stone floor of his downtown hotel lobby. | | | | pre-printed label and then call the toll-free number to |
| The outer case of the PDA was chipped in one | | | | arrange an immediate courier pick-up. Handspring |
| corner, but the software and the system still worked. | | | | thought of everything to ensure quality. |
| He called Handspring to purchase a replacement | | | | Douglas is clear and expressive about his feelings: |
| cover. | | | | "This was truly delightful service. I define delightful as |
| "Nothing doing," Handspring customer service replied. | | | | something completely beyond the expected, something |
| They insisted that he needed a completely new Visor. | | | | that brings joy to the customer. And I certainly |
| "No way," Douglas retorted. "Why should I buy a new | | | | received it in this case. I give a big hand of applause to |
| Visor, costing hundreds of dollars, just to replace a | | | | Handspring!" |
| plastic part worth a dollar or two at most?" | | | | Key Learning Point |
| "Oh no," the representative assured him. "The new | | | | When things go wrong, you have a precious |
| Visor won't cost you a penny. Your current Visor is still | | | | opportunity to completely "Wow" your customer. Do |
| under warranty." | | | | everything you can to solve the problem in a fast, |
| Attesting to the company's dedication to customer | | | | generous and very convenient manner to demonstrate |
| service quality, the representative promised to ship a | | | | your customer service quality. |
| brand new Visor to him immediately, and then | | | | Handspring understands the value of a truly delighted |
| explained that Douglas could ship the old unit back in | | | | customer. Do you? |
| the very same box. She apologized that the deadline | | | | Action Steps |
| had passed for next day delivery, so the new PDA | | | | What is a truly delighted customer worth to your |
| would arrive in two days instead. Talk about | | | | business in repeat sales, active referrals and positive |
| exceptional customer service quality! | | | | word-of-mouth? Do your policies reflect this |
| Two days later, as promised, a small package arrived | | | | understanding? Do you actively make the investment |
| for Douglas at the hotel. Inside was a brand new Visor | | | | required? Does everyone in your company agree? |
| - with complete instructions on how to transfer data | | | | Boost your customer service quality by going above |
| from the old Visor into the new one, as well as a | | | | and beyond. |
| pre-addressed courier delivery slip speaking to the | | | | |