This past weekend, I got roped into helping one of my closest friends move from her apartment in Scranton, PA to a cabin in the woods in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. She had recently accepted a job as the director of a wildlife refuge, a dream job for her. However, the move was anything but. It is, however, a good lesson in what is promised vs what is the reality.
After calling various moving companies around town, she finally went with the one that had quoted her the lowest bid. She made sure the movers knew exactly what was going on their truck and even sent them an itemized list to avoid any extra fees. The day before the move, the movers called her to let her know they would be there at 8 am, pack everything she had listed away, and would be driving to South Jersey by 11 am. She gave me and a couple of other people our orders and she was all set to move.
However…
The day of the move did not start out well. Instead of 8 am, the movers did not show up until 12:15 without an explanation of why. They manhandled all her furniture and then before getting on the road, they demanded their payment – an extra $300 more than what was quoted. Oh, and it was cash only, no credit cards because they would be stuck with the fee. My friend, already stressed by their late arrival and emotional because she was leaving her home of 10 years, was livid. Eventually she got $100 knocked off the bill since they never told her about the extra fees.
Oh wait, it gets worse. When I finally arrived with the rest of her stuff at her new home, she was beyond upset. It seems that the movers refused to drive down the dirt road until she threatened them. When they finally did show up, they dumped her furniture in the first available room, didn’t even try to bring the couch into the house, and left with all her money.
As a marketing expert, I know the power a person’s opinion can hold on a company. All you need is one person to say how horrible you are and you can lose customers. And that’s why excellent customer service is vital, especially in this day and age where there are a ton of places you can leave a review about a business. And that’s why this story will not end well for this moving company after my angry friend smears its name all over the internet.
As a business owner, it is your responsibility that your business does everything it can to make the customer feel like he/she made the right choice. No matter what you think, that customer chose you because something about your business stood out to them as the right choice, even if it’s something as simple as “we have the cheapest rates.” Remember that marketing can get them into the door, but it’s your actions as a business that keeps them there.
If you need help with your marketing, contact the experts at ENX2 Marketing today for a free consultation.