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It is amazing to me that companies continue to ignore the value of their business – the customer!
A recent experience brought this front and center.
It was time to replace windows in our home – not a small investment. We did our homework or so we thought. We read reviews and talked to neighbors. We talked with several companies. We made our choice.
We were told a timeframe and that we would be contacted near the time to confirm. No such call came so I reached out to them. Oh yes, we will be there tomorrow they said. Really? Our calendars are full and cannot be changed on a moment’s notice.
So, we said no – our bad! Weeks later the installation was scheduled. The crew was a NO SHOW. The company called us and said they were trying to find their crew. Just a tad worrisome that they had no idea why the crew was a no show.
Finally, the day arrived that a crew showed up. It was quickly discovered that an entire bay of windows was ordered incorrectly and would have to be reordered.
The installation of the other windows continued. We discovered a sash was broken and had to be replaced.
After the crew “cleaned up”, we discovered hand prints on our walls – not just dirty prints but white caulk on our terracotta walls.
Related: Why Is Building Trust So Difficult to Do?
They, of course, had to return when the correct window was available to install. They made the installation. Of course, we thought the sash would be replaced then as well – the wrong sash was ordered!
And, once again, the crew “cleaned up”. This time we discovered the white caulk had been speckled across our carpet. This was not something that could be safely cleaned so we had to look for other ways to repair it or replace it.
Where was the management throughout this process. With many, many calls and e-mails, we thought we finally had their attention. The production manager even promised monetary compensation for the inconvenience.
You guessed it, that compensation has not yet been seen.
If we had hired on the cheap, perhaps you could understand the experience. That is not what we did. We chose a top tier brand name, a brand we favored since it was the brand we originally installed in our home.
We know projects can be jinxed (ours certainly was). That really is no excuse.
It has been proven over and over that it is much more expensive to lose an existing customer than it is to find new customers. And, in today’s world that loss can go viral with significant repercussions.
What would have made the difference?
That does not seem like too much to ask yet we all have brands on our DO NOT BUY AGAIN list. Be sure your brand does not end up on such a list.