6th
The Long-Tail of Customer Service
With so many businesses promising one thing (think those big juicy hamburger ads from McD’s) and delivering another, Les Schwab still amazes me every time I pull into their parking lot. See, Les Schwab employees don’t wait for me to come to them, they run (literally) to me, find out what I need, and direct me to where I need to go - just like their ads promise.
Les Schwab does so many things right: excellent and friendly customers service, build trust, great warranties, clean buildings, good prices, and free popcorn with a comfortable waiting area. As a business you strive to give great service and more, but is there a point where good is good enough? What about the long-tail of service, what about improving upon the little things?
These are the things the customer never expects. So what does Les Schwab’s long-tail of service look like? I think it would look like this:
- Check the spare-tire pressure (because it is no fun to be caught with an almost flat spare-tire).
- Grab my email address while I am purchasing new tires and send me an email notification telling me “now would be a good time to have my tires rotated for free.”
- While you have my email address…
- Let me know of “special offers” only for previous/current customers.
- Send me a newsletter (once a month is sufficient - no more, no less) with tidbits of information such as recalls, safe driving tips, winter driving info, how to evaluate the condition of studded tires, how to increase the longevity of my tires, etc.
- Free flat tire changing clinic for those who aren’t mechanically enclined.
What other forms of long-tail service would you add? What would the long-tail of customer service look like for your business?
