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"Who was it at the door?"
Hello
At
the end of our meeting Peter and I were discussing cars and he told me a
brilliant story, which I just had to share with you as there are so many
different thoughts and ideas and methods of success contained within it.
Here goes:
A
friend of Peter’s owns an expensive car and had sent it in for service. When the
car was returned - the ashtray was missing. Now although Peter's friend doesn't
smoke he still wanted the ashtray in his car. So, he phoned the dealer and spoke
to the service department and asked them if they would get someone to drive over
and bring back his ashtray.
"We'd love to do that sir" the person said; "but unfortunately everybody here is
busy so can you just drive over and pick it up!"
As
you might imagine this was not the answer Peter's friend had been expecting.
Here's what he did...
He
telephoned the other local dealers of quality cars namely, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes,
Jaguar and Porsche and asked their service department managers what they would
do in the same circumstances.
As
we might expect each of them there claimed that they would send somebody round
immediately with the ashtray. Peter's friend was somewhat cynical about this -
doubting that it would happen.
As
it happens I have included the brand name of the dealership which carried out
the original service in the list of cars as I didn't feel it was right to name
the offending business.
About half an hour after Peter's friend had made his phone calls someone rang
his front door bell. He went to the door and there was a young, smartly dressed
man holding out an ashtray.
Peter's friend was amazed. He asked if the man was from the dealership where
he’d had his car serviced. "No" said the young man; "I'm from Lexus and when we
heard about your problem I popped over to XXX, collected the ashtray and brought
it to you"
Well, well, well...
I
wonder who'll take the order for the next car that Peter's friend decides to
have; you think it might just be Lexus?
And so...
I
wonder how you and I can use this idea in our businesses and our lives - are we
really giving the best level of service to our current customers and to those
who might become so.
Will
you take a few minutes to think just how you can use the idea from this true
story and maybe even share it with your colleagues?
You
will!
Go on then...
Peter Thomson
Editor and
Customer Focussed
Publisher
tgiMondays
PPS: comments, thoughts, ideas, puzzles or
laughter to:
peter@tgimondays.com |
