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Featured ArticleCustomer Service Heroes Are EverywhereCustomers love to tell their tales of times when they receive terrible service. But all around us there are unsung heroes who are quietly delivering exceptional service to their customers every day on the job. For example, meet "Big Al" who works at Octopus Car Wash in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I met Al a few months ago while I was driving up to get in line for a wash. He walked over to my car with a huge grin and greeted me like an old friend, although we had never met. He greeted me with, "Good Morning. My name is Al. It looks like you may have a question about which car wash option to choose and I'm here to help!" Then Al proceeded to inquire about my preferences and asked me how I was enjoying the beautiful weather we had been having. After I selected my car wash, he used his microphone headset to call the guys inside the car wash and said, "I'm sending around a very special customer, please make sure she gets first class treatment so her car is spotless when she leaves here today." We chatted for a few more minutes and I realized when I pulled away that I was smiling from ear to ear. I felt like a celebrity and Al had turned a boring task into a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Since that day, I actually look forward to my trips to the car wash so I can see "Big Al." Lori Tomczak is another customer service hero. She works at the Coldwater Creek store in Glendale, Wisconsin. Unlike many of my friends, I do not enjoy shopping for clothes so I tend to postpone my clothing needs for a long time, until my wardrobe starts looking tired. Then it's time to "power shop." That's what I had decided to do when I visited the Coldwater Creek store last winter. There was a sale going on and I needed four or five new jackets to wear for my speaking engagements. Lori greeted me with a warm smile as I entered the store. She asked how she could help me and I told her, "I'm here to buy a bunch of jackets and I hate shopping." Lori replied, "Well let me do the running for you so you can find what you need quickly." Lori and her co-worker dashed around the store and the back room tracking down my size in the jackets I told her I liked. She brought them to the dressing room along with matching tops and accessories. Lori turned drudgery into a fun adventure. Within 30 minutes I had selected five new jackets and two tops. "Wow," Lori said, "you weren't kidding about being a power shopper." Lori applied the sale prices to all of my purchases and I returned home within an hour of when I had left. I proudly modeled my outfits for my family and then went to check our mail. There it was, a catalog from Coldwater Creek, with a coupon for 30% off all items. It was good for the following week. Needless to say I was upset when I realized that I could have saved $135 if I had waited another week to shop there. I called the store and asked for Lori. When I explained what happened, she told me she would call the corporate office first thing in the morning and get back to me. True to her word, she called me the next day and told me that they were going to honor the 30% discount early, in addition to sale prices I had already received on the items I had purchased. Big Al and Lori are customer service heroes. The way they provide service leaves no room for doubt in their customers' minds that they are highly valued individuals whose business is truly appreciated. Look around and you will see service heroes everywhere who are quietly doing an exceptional job of making their customers feel valued. When you do, please make sure you compliment them, tell their bosses and refer new customers to them, so they are rewarded for their kindness and professionalism. Building Customer Loyalty from the Inside Out will provide you with hundreds of tips and tools on how you can become a customer service hero.  P.O. Box 170954 Milwaukee, WI 53217-8086 414-964-3872 newsletter@loyaltyleader.com For more tips and resources, please return to LoyaltyLeader.com. ©2010 ESE Magazine is a product and service of wisnet.com, LLC |