Let’s hear it for some brands with great customer service

Celebrating brands that continually go above and beyond for their customers

It’s easy to get caught up criticizing brands that have a poor customer service - after all, misery loves company. But there are brands that consistently meet and exceed customer expectations and deserve to be recognized.

It often takes a truly unique experience to make us share it with friends and family, but the unsung heroes are those brands delivering a consistently great experience day in and day out. These brands create a strong emotional connection and they become hardwired as our "go to" source for what they do.

For business and consumer focused brands focused on the important holiday season, becoming the first (and only) choice for your customer can yield huge benefits. As you start to plan for the surge in shoppers with exceedingly high service expectations, will you be a brand that delivers an exceptional customer experience??

Here are a few brands that can serve as inspiration as you think about how you can go above and beyond for your customers.

Chewy

As a proud dog dad, I can’t help but highlight Chewy as a brand that has exceptional customer service. They just make it easy to do everything - return a product, update an order, speak with a customer service agent about a question, or even contact a vet directly to help fill a prescription.?

What makes them really stand out? Their human-first approach.

Undoubtedly, when a beloved pet passes away (thankfully, not these pups ^) the first thing you don’t think of is canceling your food delivery.?

So what does Chewy do when the unexpected order arrives?

1. Gives its customers a full refund - no questions asked
2. Encourages them to donate remaining food to a local shelter
3. Delivers flowers with a note signed by the customer service rep

Going above and beyond especially during a tough times creates loyal customers so when their next furry friend is welcomed into their family, they will undoubtedly return to Chewy.

Chick-fil-A Restaurants

It’s easy to 'Eat Mor Chikin,' especially when Chick-fil-A goes above and beyond for its customers.?

A friend of mine was recently road tripping from New York City to Hilton Head Island for a week at the beach with family. And, of course the best way to break-up the 14 hour car ride is a stop at Chick-fil-A for lunch.?

When they stopped at a Chick-fil-A in Virginia, the drive-thru line was so long that cars were already lining the highway, patiently waiting their turn to order.? My friend was thinking this quick stop is going to add 30 minutes to the trip.?

However, Chick-fil-A is an expert in creating seamless experiences for their customers. They had employees working the line with iPads taking orders and other team members delivering the food to the car once it was ready, expediting the process instead of relying on one drive thru window. The whole stop ended up taking less than 10 minutes. A WIN for anyone who wants their Chicken Deluxe Combo and to get back on the road.?

I’m sure this story is just one of many examples of how Chick-fil-A prioritizes the customer experience, differentiating themselves from their competition and becoming the QSR leader.

So when Chick-fil-A ends every interaction with ‘My Pleasure,’ it’s really the consumer who has the pleasure of experiencing such a great customer experience.

Vista

A colleague of mine recently got married. Planning a wedding is STRESSFUL – add in all the logistics of a destination wedding and things can get crazy.

She went to Vistaprint to place an order of two large welcome signs and had thought she updated the shipping address to reflect the venue, but she had actually changed her billing address. When the signs shipped (less than 24 hours after placing the order), she panicked when she saw that the signs were being shipped to an entirely different state.?

She leveraged the chatbot, was assigned a person within one minute, and got to a resolution, including a complimentary reprint and shipping to the right address —?no headaches, no waiting, just a speedy resolution.

When you think of great customer service, what brand or experience comes to mind? Drop me your reply in the comments below.