Customer Service is Still Alive Online
Few things add to the character of your kitchen like butcher block. A chunky “slab” of wood, you can chop on it, gather round it or serve hors d’oeuvres on it – it’s a fine enhancement to any counter space. And like a premium wine, butcher block only gets better with age.
As you know, ODX Fusion is not in the business of Butcher Blocks. We are in the business of helping other small businesses market their products and services online. So when I purchased a gorgeous piece of block online and was treated with incredible customer service above and beyond what was expected or deserved, I was compelled to begin the “Just Doing it” series with a 2-part post based on the experience.
You see, many small business owners think they’ll put up a website and let it make money for them. Unfortunately we all know that’s not the case. It’s hard work, a few sleepless nights and a lot of trying new strategies to find out what works. Above all, it’s customer service.
Here’s how it all started…. My wife and I decided our kitchen island would look great with butcher block in place of the island countertop. After searching the internet for Butcher Blocks, we combed through the results and made our selection based on the ability order the exact size, finish and edging.
We contacted the folks at The Butcher Block Top, sent our measurements and after custom building our butcher block, it arrived a few days later. Excitedly, we unboxed a very solid, quality crafted butcher block and set it atop our island to have a look.
It didn’t fit. Well, it fit, but only just – no overhang, just a beautiful accent sitting squarely atop our island and not what I had in mind at all. Surely they’d made a mistake and sent me the wrong size.
Frustrated, I checked the measurements I emailed the company only to realize The Butcher Block Top company sent me exactly what I had ordered – in fact a perfect measurement of what I had ordered.
But I had measured wrong.
I was crushed. When my wife suggested I call the company and ask what our options were I assured her we were stuck because it was a custom piece.
My wife never listens to me, let’s understand that. She called the The Butcher Block Top company anyway and the co-founder Shirley Keele answered the phone. Yes, you read right, the co-founder answered the phone. From the beginning, Shirley never made us feel like I had made a silly mistake and instead felt horrible that we’d received product with which we weren’t ecstatic.
Shirley was so determined to make sure that we received the butcher block of our dreams that she took our new and correct measurements and placed the order and then arranged for return shipping of the original block. That was about 2 weeks prior to this writing. The new block will be here in a few days!
The point of the Part 1 of this post is that it would have been easy and even understandable for The Butcher Block Top folks to apologize and say there was nothing that could be done – I mean, this was custom built for us. Easy to tell me my dumb mistake cost me good money and advise that I was out of luck. After all, they’re in Arizona, I am in New York. Not likely I would show up and raise a raucous or picket outside their store.
What Shirley Keele and The Butcher Block Top company told me was that whether or not they ever actually meet me, they value me as a customer, appreciate my business and want me to be overjoyed with their product. Not in words, but in action – and that’s the very definition of customer service.
If you’re looking for butcher block, visit The Butcher Block Top and see Part 2 of this post to find out how they came to be an ecommerce force with their butcher blocks. Even better, subscribe so you’ll get all the “Just Doing It” Online Marketing posts!
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