Monthly Archives: January 2008

I am a frequent Continental flyer and enjoy flying with them and the service I receive. Last night, I booked a round trip flight for my son using their online service, which I use quite often. I find www.continental.com to be an easy site to navigate to quickly book my flights.

When logging on to their site this evening, I noticed the price for the identical flight was much cheaper. I called the elite desk line and got Buzz Savage, their pleasant helpdesk manager, on the phone. He explained that the rule states that in order to rebook the flight at the different rate I must make the change exactly within 24 hours of booking the original fair. Although I had passed the 24-hour mark, he will make the necessary adjustment and take care of me.

It was a great pleasure to talk with Buzz and hear his story. He retired quite a few years ago and decided to go back to work. Sitting in his family room where he now works daily, all customers’ calls are directed right to his home phone. He said he loves his job, and Continental takes great care of him. I asked him what is one of the greatest attributes about the company that most people do not know. He said, the focus of everyone in the company to service the customers and make it a great place. He then proceeded to tell me that even though he is already working remotely from home, they are working on the technology to soon allow him to work remotely from anywhere in the world.

These four most recent blog posts illustrate four different companies with four different mindsets of servicing their customers. Which company would you want to do business with and which company most resembles your organization?

While at the mall, my wife and I left Nordstrom and had some time to kill before our dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant. We walked into Dillard’s women shoe department when my wife noticed the boots she got several weeks ago were significantly discounted and on sale now. The sales person explained that even if the boots are still brand new in the box, since they were purchased three weeks ago she couldn’t credit my wife the price difference. Her option would be to return them for full credit, which will put them back into stock and then attempt to repurchase them assuming the proper size is available in stock.

I shared with her the great service experience we just had at Nordstrom and the no-questions-asked and friendly price adjustment policy they had. “We are not Nordstrom” She said. “I noticed” I replied.

I mentioned to her why this is illogical and does not make any business sense. Forcing the customer to return the boots for full credit while waiting for the salesperson to put them back in stock and then allowing the customer to repurchase them seemed absurd.

She thought about it and then said: “Bring your boots tomorrow and I will process the credit on one register. You will then have to wait 20 minutes so I can then process the sale on another register so I don’t get in trouble.”

It’s amazing for me to see how two different organizations (Nordstrom and Dillard’s) empower their employees to make the proper decisions to serve their customers.

My wife and I went to the mall the other day to stop at Nordstrom in order to get my new mail-ordered coat altered. While waiting for the tailor tp arrive, the friendly salesman started to process the alteration order request on his computer. “I have good news for you Mr. Barr”, he said. “I just processed a credit for over $100 on your account to reflect the price adjustment on your coat since it is now on sale.” I thanked him for this special gesture and it was then that the tailor arrived. He took my measurements and asked if I have a special occasion and whether I need my coat ready right away?

It was back in December and a couple of days before my trip to Las Vegas to visit my son in Utah when I realized that I forgot to rent a car for the trip. In a great hurry and armed with the power of the Internet, a couple of minutes later I rented the SUV from Dollar Rent A Car. A couple of days later I landed at the Las Vegas airport and within a short time found myself standing at the long line of the previously mentioned car rental office. And that’s where my dreadful experience started.

It was taking forever for the service reps to take care of each of the irritated customers. Even my attempt to get more help fell on deaf ears. Almost an hour later and finally it was my turn to be served. The condescending representative seemed to be a natural extension of the poor mindset already shared by the other company’s representatives and she also seemed to enjoy her acquired power. I then realized that the faster I get served, the faster I will be on the road for the 4 hour drive to Utah. It took a tremendous amount of self-control for me to not comment on the attitude I was noticing coming from her and the others in that office.

Almost relieved and with the paperwork finally in my hands, I rushed downstairs to their car lot to get my rented car. To my amazement the car was not there. When I questioned the service rep he said that he does not know when my car will be ready although he hopes it will be soon. I told him that hopes won’t get me far and I need the car NOW! He then told me that I may select any car I want from the lot. Glancing over, I noticed they were all small cars and I told him that I reserved a 4-wheel drive SUV to safely drive in the mountains of Utah. He did not seem to care while telling all the customers coming down with their paperwork that they also may select any car they want from the lot. There was an almost frenzy like feeling in the air.

With my pulse beating faster, my self-control gone and my voice increasing in volume I told him he has three options: 1. Go down to his competitor’s lot and get me an equivalent car to the one I rented. 2. Get me into the Cadillac Escalade I just noticed on his lot. 3. Call his manager to immediately resolve this problem. He explained that the keys to the Escalade are locked inside and he cannot leave his post since there are customers to serve. Demandingly I reminded him that I am one of these customers and he better get me the car now while I can direct the rest of his customers.

Perhaps it was my demeanor, my loud voice, the face twitch I started to develop, the fact that he started to get tired of me or perhaps his realization of the customer service responsibilities when he suddenly left. Several minutes later he came back with a brand new SUV handing me the keys while I am still in the midst of directing the customers’ traffic to select any car they see on the lot. What can I tell you? I had to have some sense of humor about this dreadful situation.

As I climbed into the car, almost two and a half hours after my landing, I realized the senior moment I had when booking my car reservation and forgetting to use my gold membership with Hertz, which would have prevented this from happening.