+1 Care

When customer care isn't reading from a script.

What does it look like when customer care rises above and beyond expectations?

A few weeks back, I had a merch listing removed from a print-on-demand platform because it was flagged for copyright infringement. Confused, I responded to the email asking why this had happened and providing proof that the art/copyright in question was, in fact, cleared for me to use as I had rights to it. The customer care team responded promptly, looked into the matter, and resolved the issue (the listing was re-instated). I was happy with the resolution and thought this was the end of the story...

But yesterday, I received a package from the company. They had sent me a sample of the item in question - free of charge - as a way to say "sorry for the hassle". I wasn't expecting this, I hadn't asked for it, and they made no mention in email that it was going to be sent. Truly a surprise and delight.

And you know what? I have more of a connection with this print-on-demand service than ever before, I am less likely to shop for a replacement service in the future, and I'm much more likely to recommend this company moving forward. The cost to them to build for affinity for their brand? Probably just a couple of dollars.

Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking customer care is a necessary layer to triage customer complaints and issues.

The truth is customer care - and the interactions customers have with your brand in this channel - is a chance to deepen connections to your brand. It's a marketing channel.

So the question is, are you empowering your team with the needed bandwidth to listen with empathy and respond accordingly? Or do they simply have a script?

Thanks for spending time with me in my workshop,

Eric