Did you miss me? If you ever get a chance to take a three-week vacation, grab it. I am rested and ready to share a nice topic. Too often, it’s easy to belittle companies that offer poor customer service. I have had a string of great luck with a number of businesses that deserve acknowledgement.
It’s my pleasure to note four great encounters.
Continental Airlines: We booked flights for a vacation well ahead of the trip. A month before boarding, we got a letter saying our flights and seat assignments had been changed, and not for the better. I am a white-knuckle flier and prefer sitting at the front of the plane. Being trapped in seats behind the wing is a great fear, because when we land, I like to pop up ahead of everyone and dash out the door. This has startled many a flight attendant, but I must exit the flying tomb immediately.
When our seats were changed to the back of the plane, we called the airline and talked to a very nice customer service person. I suppose they could have been in India, but we didn’t care. We wanted our earlier flight and our upfront seats.
They changed everything. We didn’t have to yell. We didn’t have to ask for a supervisor. Poof! Like that, everything was switched back to our original plan. Thanks, Continental, for making our trip pleasant.
Red Lobster, Lynnwood: At a recent dinner, my two friends were mistakenly brought meals meant for the table next to us. A new waitress had her hands full. One meal was exchanged, but a small lobster tail stayed with my friend, Tom Williams of Lynnwood, and was quickly devoured. The manager came to our table when he realized my buddy got a smaller lobster than he had ordered. The manager offered options, and Tom decided he also wanted to eat the bigger tail he had ordered. Along came the 1-pound tail, for the price of only one meal. It was a nice gesture by the restaurant.
Zappos.com: I ordered a pair of shoes for my son’s Sept. 10 wedding in Idaho. Loved the style, but they weren’t quite right with my outfit. Ordering online is a pleasure for me, because I love getting home from work and finding packages on the front porch. There is something fun about opening boxes from UPS or FedEx. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a long browse at a department store or mall.
So what to do about the shoes? For a wedding, they had to be just right. I guess they had to go back. Lo and behold, when I went to find the return paperwork, there was a UPS shipping tag. All I had to do was take the shoes to my local mailing store, affix the return shipping label, and the shoes zipped back to Zappos.com. It didn’t cost me a cent.
That was so nice, I did what good consumers do. I ordered a different pair from Zappos.com, and they were just right. I will certainly order from that Web site again. Good customer service reaps return customers.
Scunci: Now, here is the granddaddy of customer service. I saw some hair curlers on the Scunci Web site. Yes, girls, women my age still wear hair curlers to bed now and then. These were oddball-looking curlers that were supposed to make “natural looking waves,” even in old gray hair. Most drug and department stores carry Scunci products, from hairnets to barrettes. I looked around and could find no Scunci Wave Clips.
On the Scunci Web site, you can’t order online, so I e-mailed customer service. I am a dog with a bone when I want to get a particular item. Customer service recommended three stores, I checked them out, and none carried my curlers.
I e-mailed Scunci again for other ideas, and they asked me for my address. A week later in my mailbox was a full set of Scunci Wave Clips. Not a sample, but the whole bag.
That’s 12 curlers. I would guess they sell for more than $10, and Scunci spent $2.21 for postage. Isn’t that the nicest thing?
I may make another purchase soon. I think I’ll get a Scunci Steamer, just because it’s a great place to shop.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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