Loyalty Leader Quick Tips

My husband, Larry, and I had purchased a very expensive Verlo mattress. From the day it was delivered, Larry was disappointed with the mattress. It seemed to really sag every time he lay down on it. He said he felt like he was “hanging on for dear life” so he wouldn’t fall out of bed. For months, we tried everything from flipping and turning the mattress to changing sides on the bed. But the problem continued.

Verlo has a 60-day comfort guarantee where they will come out, pick up the mattress, take it back to the factory and make adjustments until you’re comfortable. But we didn’t call. We just kept hoping the problem would go away. Finally, 130 days after our purchase, I called the Verlo store and complained about the problem.

A nice young lady named Jennifer patiently listened while I sang the blues. She said, “Although it’s well past our service guarantee time frame, I’ll arrange for a courtesy adjustment so you won’t be charged. However, I’d like you to come into our store tomorrow to try out a few mattresses so you can tell us the firmness you’re looking for. I won’t be here tomorrow, so please ask for Todd.”

The next day when I walked into Verlo, Todd greeted me warmly. He told me he was expecting me. I said, “Todd, I need you to save my marriage. My husband is sleeping in the guest bedroom because he can’t stand our new mattress.”

Todd said, “Jennifer explained the problem and I looked up your records. I see you have the soft box springs, I’d like to replace them with a firmer set.”

“Do it, Todd!”

“You got it!” Todd said. “Then I’d like to have the factory add some more quilting to firm up the overall mattress.”

“Let’s go for it!”

“Let’s go for it!” he said. “And we’ll have them reinforce the borders while they’re at it so your husband won’t feel like he’s rolling out. If we pick the mattress up Wednesday morning, it will be all fixed and back to you by 4 p.m. the same day.”

I thanked Todd at the Verlo store for demonstrating that he really cared. As I was leaving, he said, “Trust me. Once we get these adjustments made, you’ll be delighted that you selected Verlo over the other mattress brands.”

He was right!

What does Customer Service Ownership mean?

1. Operate with kindness and empathy.
2. Walk in the customer’s shoes. Consider what you would want if you were the customer in a similar situation.
3. Never use the words “I can’t” or “We don’t.” Focus on what you CAN do for your customers.
4. Enhance your professional credibility by demonstrating that you genuinely care about your customers
5. Resolve your customers’ concerns completely so they do not need to make the same request twice.
6. Surprise and delight your customers by exceeding their expectations.
7. Honesty is the key to loyalty. When customers know they can trust you, they are happier and more cooperative.
8. Integrity means keeping your promises to your customers, even those that seem small or insignificant to you. Follow through on every commitment you make.
9. Personalize your service by listening carefully and focusing on the details that are most important to your customer.

Taking ownership is really about leaving the customer in a better condition than when the contact was first established.