Finally! A GREAT customer service story!
On Monday, as I was walking through the Seattle airport to catch a flight back to Atlanta. I heard a low, powerful and pleasant humming sound. When I looked in the direction of the sound, I saw an attractive, free standing Bose booth. (If you don't know, Bose produces superior sound systems.)
I was having a problem with my noise cancelling headphones which are AMAZING. The young salesperson immediately greeted me with a big smile and told me he would be right with me. He was in the process of closing a $300 sale with another traveller. You could tell that the salesman TOTALLY believed in the product and was VERY enthusiastic about it.
I told him about the problem I was having and he immediately said, "It is one of two things. Let me run a quick test." About 3 minutes later he comes back with a brand new, fully charged pair of headphones and gives them to me. He then pulls out his ipod and plugs in the headphones so I could listen.
Before I leave, he registers my purchase for me on via the Internet.
I walked away with the new headphones under my arm, completely and 100% satisfied.
Do you think I'm now a loyal customer of Bose? You bet your life.
There are a bunch of super important marketing lessons in this short story. Some are obvious, some are not. Here's a challenge for ya...
Read the story again and then post as many of the marketing lessons you can find on the blog. Betcha you won't get 'em all!
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. How would you like to get one of my best products, that I used to sell for $97, for nada? Go to www.davedee.com/ic
I was having a problem with my noise cancelling headphones which are AMAZING. The young salesperson immediately greeted me with a big smile and told me he would be right with me. He was in the process of closing a $300 sale with another traveller. You could tell that the salesman TOTALLY believed in the product and was VERY enthusiastic about it.
I told him about the problem I was having and he immediately said, "It is one of two things. Let me run a quick test." About 3 minutes later he comes back with a brand new, fully charged pair of headphones and gives them to me. He then pulls out his ipod and plugs in the headphones so I could listen.
Before I leave, he registers my purchase for me on via the Internet.
I walked away with the new headphones under my arm, completely and 100% satisfied.
Do you think I'm now a loyal customer of Bose? You bet your life.
There are a bunch of super important marketing lessons in this short story. Some are obvious, some are not. Here's a challenge for ya...
Read the story again and then post as many of the marketing lessons you can find on the blog. Betcha you won't get 'em all!
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. How would you like to get one of my best products, that I used to sell for $97, for nada? Go to www.davedee.com/ic
posted by Dave Dee at
11:43 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Dave,
He sounds like every business owners dream employee.
I'll list all I can find.
1) pleasant!!, not obnoxious humming sound that caught your attention even before you saw the booth;
2) attractive display booth;
3) immediate greeting and smile from salesman acknowledging your presence but letting you know he was with another important customer at that time;
4) demonstrated to you that the product is in demand by focussing on the $300 sale;
5) belief and excitement about the product - probably the most important part of the whole process;
6) offerred to figure out the solution to your problem with no negative words said - he wanted to verify what the problem was before he made any insinuation that "you" were the problem;
7) replaced the faulty headphones, no charge, no questions asked, no problems;
8) fully functional headphones, completely charged, so you could use them right away. Where in the airport would you have a chance to charge them?
9) Let you listen to them right then and there so you can say that everything is OK, no problems. He probably had some great music on his iPod that emphasized the performance of the headphones;
10) how much of a pain it is to register products and he took the time to take care of it for you, made sure it went through OK and that you were not additionally burdened to do that for a second time;
I'm sure there are more, but even 1/2 of what I've written would make for an exceptional experience.
Brian
Hi Dave,
I regularly read your emails - I find lots to stumulate my thinking, and I like your friendly style.
You gave me a challenge when you asked your readers to see if they could find the marketing lessons in the story about the Bose headphones. I think I found some.
Here goes-
1. Immediate, pleasant greeting which says, nonverbally, "I'm glad you are are"
2. Said "I'll be right with you" so you don't have to "wait and wonder"
3. Gave 'social proof' by closing another sale, validating that the product is popular and good.
4. Salesman embodied enthusiasm and belief in product, which encourages trust.
5. Was knowledgeable enough to say "The problem is one of two things", again encouraging trust.
6. Offered to 'run a quick test', paying attention to a traveler's short time schedule, also giving
an "I go the extra mile for you" validation.
7. Overdelivers with a pair of brand new, fully charged headphones.
8. Puts the new headphones in customers hand, giving customer a sense of ownership.
9. Tests them on the spot, leaving no "wondering if they'll work"
10. Makes the purchase process quick and painless for the customer (who at this point is thinking "I would be CRAZY not to buy), leaving the customer happy and ready to spread the good work about Bose.
Did I get some?
Let me know,
Gwyneth
Not only did the salesman provide a solution to your headset problem, but it was delivered in a way that created an positive experience that impacted you (attractive booth, friendly people, superior service, superior product). He way more than exceeded your expectations.
See you at System! -Galen
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