Author Topic: A little chest pounding (Read 688 times)

midnight Target · « **on:** November 04, 2003, 07:20:15 PM »

Recently received this letter from a customer.

Every month we read in your magazine about folks needing help from the RV Action line to resolve a problem with a manufacturer. It gives us a great deal of pleasure to tell Trailer Life about an excellent experience that we had recently.

In February 2001 we purchased a new Wanderer travel trailer made by Thor California. Earlier this year we discovered that the aluminum paneling was starting to buckle on one side of the trailer. We contacted Mr. *********, the Service/Warranty Manager at Thor CA to see if there was anything they could do about this.

We received a response from Mr. ******* at Thor CA saying that if we brought the trailer to the factory, they would replace the affected panel even though the trailer was several months out of warranty. When we brought the trailer in, their security person (*******) did a thorough inventory of all our belongings that we left in the trailer. Mr. ******** went through the trailer with us and we looked at the areas that needed to be repaired. Within two weeks, we got a call that the work had been completed and the trailer was ready to be picked up.

To our great surprise and pleasure, the trailer that we picked up was distinguishable from the new trailers only by the fact that our belongings were in it. Thor CA had completely replaced the aluminum panels on three sides of the trailer and updated the front end with the diamond plate shield used on the current model. They replaced lights that had faded and a stove vent that was cracked. Mr. ****** spent time with us showing us all the work that had been done. They also checked out all the appliances and systems and detailed the inside and outside to make sure that everything was in good working order. All this was done with no cost to us.

Thor California and its employees demonstrated a level of customer satisfaction that is almost unheard of, much less expected, in repairing our trailer. We want everyone to know that there are companies with employees who take their commitment to customer service seriously.

Bill & Shari ****

San Pedro, CA

Airhead · « **Reply #1 on:** November 04, 2003, 07:34:08 PM »

Target, if you're smart you'll use your influence to get rid of the idiot who approved repairs and UPGRADES on an expired warranty trailer before he bankrupts the company.

Yeager · « **Reply #2 on:** November 04, 2003, 07:48:12 PM »

Thats sort of customer service will yield more new customers and new revenue then the expense of the repairs. Smart business.

Buy American!!!

Nice work!

capt. apathy · « **Reply #3 on:** November 04, 2003, 07:52:27 PM »

pound a bit louder. there's nothing wrong with taking pride in doing your job well. especially when it's about doing the job better than required and not just getting a bigger proffit.

most of us spend more time working than any other thing we do. I'd hate to suck at something I do that much of. and it's always good to run into others who feel the same way (even if it doesn't happen often enough)

Maverick · « **Reply #4 on:** November 04, 2003, 07:56:33 PM »

For those that aren't familiar with the RV area. There are several magazines and groups all dedicated to RVers. They are a very close and vocal group. When a company doesn't treat their customers right the word goes out very loudly and over the entire nation through the bbs links and magazines. This happens pretty darn quickly as well.

MT, great letter there. I hope it isn't the exception.

lord dolf vader · « **Reply #5 on:** November 04, 2003, 08:14:48 PM »

sounded like good business to me.

cool letter

midnight Target · « **Reply #6 on:** November 04, 2003, 08:20:32 PM »

Not the exception, the only drawback is the original need for the service. I would rather never get such a letter, due to our exceptional quality. We are working on that.

Airhead · « **Reply #7 on:** November 04, 2003, 08:30:08 PM »

MT kidding aside, what's your demographics and what's your best advertisement of your product? Next to word of mouth referals, that is...

midnight Target · « **Reply #8 on:** November 04, 2003, 09:19:39 PM »

Our demographics are a little different than your average RV manufacturer. We are in the entry level to mid-range market. I'd say our average customer is 30ish to 40ish with a small family and a solid income. He/she has spent a lot of time in the outdoors, and wants a little more comfort. We are also big in the Toy-hauler market. People who like to carry quads, or skidoos, or motorcycles or whatever inside their trailer.

We spend most of our ad dollars on trade shows I think.

rpm · « **Reply #9 on:** November 04, 2003, 09:32:29 PM »

MT that just looks like good old fashioned American Salesmanship to me. Sad that it is now the exception, rather than the rule. Looks like Thor Cali is the kind of place that takes pride in their work and it shows. There are plenty of names out there that would not give a damn about the original problem, much less voluntarily upgrade the repair.

majic · « **Reply #10 on:** November 04, 2003, 10:46:40 PM »

Fess up now, you sent the letter...didn't you.

mrblack · « **Reply #11 on:** November 05, 2003, 01:24:27 AM »

MT we disagree on just about everything LOL.
And would probably not like each other much in person.
But I must say you KNOW how to run a company.
Good for you:aok

Pfunk · « **Reply #12 on:** November 05, 2003, 03:18:14 AM »

WTG MT, your response is a case study in consumer relations/retention. If you ever get any hard data, or replies from anyone in direct response to how you handled this situation I would like to know. I am doing my senior Consumer Economics paper next semester and this would be some nice data to add to it.

Leslie · « **Reply #13 on:** November 05, 2003, 04:22:31 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Airhead
Target, if you're smart you'll use your influence to get rid of the idiot who approved repairs and UPGRADES on an expired warranty trailer before he bankrupts the company.

But what if it was Target who approved it?

Good job MT. That's the kind of letter to frame and hang in the office.

~~Les~~

takeda · « **Reply #14 on:** November 05, 2003, 05:05:11 AM »

That got me thinking about something that I'm noticing in my job.

Being Mr. Nice Guy is easier for an owner/manager than for an employee. Leaving aside the obvious, that an owner cares more than an employee for the bussiness, I have found a big new factor.

I work at the Computer Services of a fairly big University. I'm mostly a systems administrator / application developer, but everyone here gets to do a fair amount of user support, as the user/support staff ratio is like 800 users for every one of us.

Just the simple facts of picking up the phone every time it rings, answering using a friendly voice tone, and trying to solve the problems of whomever is calling, is getting me nice emails from users and management very similar to that letter , but is also getting me quite a bad rep among many of my co-workers: I'm too "soft" on users, and make them look bad.

I even had one of the senior workers here come complaining about this:
A friend of him had requested some task, and he answered with the usual hogwash about it being nearly impossible to perform in less than 3 or 4 months. Someone told the guy about me, he called and I did the stupid thing in like 10 minutes. The next day I had the other bastard howling at the doorway of my cubicle. Pretty sad.

Other guy was so friggin' lazy that I was in fact doing all of his work for him, just out of pity for the poor users. When he was about to be caught, he complained to the bosses that I was "hijacking his work asignments". That was great, because they called me, I went into the meeting, smiled, hinted very lightly about resigning, and got a nice promotion.

The only thing that scares me is getting burned out and becoming one of them.