Two examples of customer relations in the last two days. Each was very impressive.
Apple, Inc. I was purchasing a laptop computer on line and had difficulty with the process and called the -800 Apple help line. An incredibly friendly, competent, smart young man walked me through the purchase, accessing records of mine and talking through options. He made my on-line confusion seem like the most regular thing . . . no sense of operator error or the need for me to apologize. And he followed up the purchase with not just a form receipt from Apple, but a personal email from him at his personal Apple address. I responded to thank him and he responded. Wow. I am incredibly impressed.
I can hear a not-for-profit response; actually, an excuse: "But Apple has a lot of money to do things well.". . . Right! And that's why Apple has a lot of money . . . they do things well.
My not-for-profit story is about LIFT, an organization founded by a young Yale graduate, which "combats poverty and expands opportunity." I made an on-line gift in honor of a friend and at the suggestion of one of their major donors. I didn't get either an on-line or paper acknowledgment or receipt. But I did receive a fiscal year-end solicitation. So I wrote to them, copied the CEO, and said I thought they were missing the boat in basic solicitation and stewardship. I received an immediate response from the communication team, a follow up from the LIFT development office, and a personal email from the CEO. All within a couple of hours, all sincere, well-written, and focused on discovering the source of the problem and solving it.
I left the experience impressed and more than willing to give again.
In each of these examples, personal attention was the key to what was a great experience with Apple and what turned out, in the end, to be a positive experience with LIFT. Both increased my willingness -- even enthusiasm -- to purchase/give again.
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