So, as I write this, my car is sitting in the mechanic’s shop. It is sitting in the same shop that I have taken all of my vehicles to for the past 10 years. Why do I do that? I do it because of the excellent customer service I receive at Joel’s Automotive!
I was given a reference to take my former Honda Civic to his shop 10 years ago, when I was asking trusted family and friends for a recommendation. I had just moved into a new town and was having some car issues. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some bad experiences over the years when it comes to mechanics, so you can imagine the hesitation I felt taking my car to ANYONE! However, when family mechanics recommended me to him that was really the deciding factor. Off to Joel’s I went!
As soon as I talked to Joel, I could see why so many of my trusted advisors recommended him. I can’t even remember exactly what the issue was but I remember meeting Joel. Even though he wasn’t the most talkative person, he listened to everything I said, gave me a timeframe that I could plan on that it could be checked and was very approachable. It was almost like talking to an uncle or my Dad, which gave him instant likeability and trust with me! Not only that, but his shop fixed my issue the same day. To top it off, the price was lower than a few other quotes that I had gotten! I’ve been a fan and customer of Joel ever since.
I say all of that to say that there are a few important aspects about excellence in customer service that we can all learn from Joel:
1. Be approachable to your customers.
I’ve asked Joel numerous questions over the years and he NEVER makes me feel dumb for asking. Not one time! In fact, he offers more information than I ask for most of the time so that I’m aware of what’s going on with my car and what it will take to repair the issue. Maybe that’s why it feels like talking to family when talking with him!
2. Build trust with your customers by being knowledgeable about your service/product and do what you say you’re going to do.
Show that you have the utmost integrity in your work. Walk the walk! And then when possible, go another mile. I’ve seen Joel work out payment plans with customers who were in a financial bind. As we’ve all experienced, sometimes life throws you a curve ball that you weren’t expecting. Joel knows this. He knows his customers. He goes the extra mile for them. That is why we keep bringing our vehicles back!
Even though there are many other great things that I could say about Joel, to me it all can be summed up as excellent customer service. In this day and age when companies are just a tweet or post away from losing customers, they can all learn a lesson from Joel. If you treat your customer like gold every single time that you interact with them and deliver the goods, they WILL come back for more! Mark my words! They will also give references and reviews to not only friends and family but to everyone in their network. That is why excellence in customer service isn’t just a goal for companies anymore. It is a necessity for survival.
