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Overserved
By: Patrick Maguire
Book Chapter: Human-to-Human Service
Posted: 05/26/2010
It’s so refreshing to be blown away by great service that exceeds our own expectations. Those businesses that understand how critical hospitality and great service are stand in a class of their own. Hospitality and service are a mindset and a culture.
My brother Paul called recently from his RV on his way home to Alaska from D&D Automotive in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Paul has logged tens of thousands of miles between Boston and the Land of the Midnight Sun, and he’s often been at the mercy of sketchy auto mechanics in some very remote locations. During one trip he had to wait four and a half days in Fort Nelson, British Columbia for a part to be delivered by Greyhound bus because a mechanic broke the old part when “taking a look” to furnish an estimate. In short, Paul has suffered some very anxious moments when receiving, reviewing, and re-negotiating repair bills with mechanics throughout North America.
So when Paul told me he wanted to nominate D&D for the Automotive Service Hall of Fame, I was all ears. Here are the bullets from Paul’s story:
- Found D&D Automotive after Googling the dreaded words, “transmission repair.”
- Initial phone call very professional inviting him in for an immediate assessment.
- First impression very positive – clean yard and shop, everyone in uniform.
- Warm greeting from Tony at desk that included a firm handshake followed by, Hello Paul, we’ve been expecting you.
- Dave promptly rolled under the rig and after a few minutes exclaimed, I got it.
- Paul’s wary comment to Dave; I’ve been in lots of shops. I just want to pay a fair price for quality work.
- On-the-spot verbal estimate of less than $500 and an invitation to bring the rig in first thing the next day.
- Early morning greeting from Tony, followed by a written estimate of parts and labor not to exceed $350, with a promise to call and seek authorization for any costs over $350.
- Free loaner car and an estimate that the rig would be finished early afternoon.
- Call from the garage at 1:00PM, The rig is ready.
- Detailed explanation of the work completed, with a breakdown of all parts and labor totaling $265. (Yes, less than the estimate!)
- A note in the rig with a roll of peppermints attached to it stating, We really appreciate you and your business, along with incentives for future visits. (Paul will be returning to the area in a few months.)
- An overwhelming sense of relief…
There’s nothing like the feeling of having a trusted auto mechanic or any service professional. While shaking hands with Tony and Dave, Paul fervently repeated, Thank you for keeping your word. He took some business cards on the way out and couldn’t wait to tell everyone about the service he received. I could feel Paul’s enthusiasm and gratitude as he shared his story with me.
D&D Automotive in Stevens Point, WI converted Paul Maguire from a customer to one of their ambassadors. Now that’s marketing.
Please share your stories when you’ve experienced service that exceeded your own expectations. Have you ever been overserved?
12 Responses to “Overserved”
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Permalink | Posted in Human-to-Human Service | 12 Comments »
Wow. I wish there were such places around here… Nothing worse than being stuck far from home. Whenever I experience unusually good service, I tell everyone who’ll listen, and I’ll go out of my way to let their supervisor (if any) know…
Edward- I hear you. I love making those phone calls to let the owner of a company know that one of their employees did a great job. I called the owner of a company last week to tell him that one of his guys was a true gentleman and extremely respectful and gracious. Well, it was no mystery to me why after speaking with the owner. He told me that he talks with his guys all the time about how they are an extension of him, his company, and their brand, and how they interact with customers is vital to the success of the company. Great employees also make great ambassadors.
“Please share your stories when you’ve experienced service that exceeded your own expectations. Have you ever been overserved?”
Well, to me those are 2 different things. Service that exceeds my expectations involves things like: bringing a taste or sip of something merely because I expressed interest in it though I didn’t order it. Naturally one never expects such things, and it may not even be welcome if it seems calculated; but when it seems clear that the server/bartender is clearly just very enthusiastic about the item in question and senses that you’ll appreciate it, there’s a charming moment of connection between the 2 of you. It also involves treating special requests with real thoughtfulness/graciousness—whether they’re accommodated or for some reason have to be denied (and sometimes they do for practicality’s sake). And of course, obviously, it involves bringing things before I think of them myself—for instance, not just to-go containers but a bag for them, or extra napkins when it’s clear I’m making a mess (which I usually am).
Overservice, by contrast, is a matter of being more concerned about your own stellar performance than my needs. If, for instance, a server is about to launch into a spiel about the philosophy of the chef or the way a particular dish is made, I’m bound to look pained. A good server will notice that and let it be. If I have questions, believe me, I’ll ask; don’t force info on me at the expense of the mood I want to set for my own meal.
Admittedly, avoiding overservice requires developing a degree of sensitivity to each customer’s needs that servers simply don’t always have the time to execute. Mind-reading is not always possible on issues as subjective as frequent water glass-filling (I’m all for it because I’m a guzzler, even if I’m in the middle of conversation; some people hate it) and checking to see how the food is shortly after it’s served (I hate it, because it’s one of those things where rest assured I’ll let you know if something’s wrong; but a lot of people would be miffed if you didn’t do that right away.)
I suppose I’m in the minority—because I’m a very private, stubborn, and know-it-all type—who would rather you err on the side of discretion than kid-glove treatment; I prefer the minimal approach unless I know or have developed some kind of rapport with the server (like much of the staff at Neptune Oyster).
The first place that comes to my mind is one of my favorite places to visit, O’Connor Hardware in Billerica, MA. Anytime I have been there they have helped me with my house projects by truly caring and explaining everything so thoroughly. They will walk you to the aisle you are interested in and stay with you until you feel very satisfied that you can go home and work on your project with confidence!!! I look forward to going there any time I have something to do related to house projects. A nice ‘shout out’ to O’Connor Hardware!
Dear Patrick:
What a marvelous story. It’s enlightening to hear that there are still some folks in the automotive business who’re not only ethical but who are responsible and not greedy. We’re lucky that the garage in our neighborhood has always been of great service and keeps us confident in the reliability of our vehicles.
The first story that I think of when reading this is what we did for a customer at our restaurant about three years ago. We’d almost closed the place at about 7:30 at night because there was a record snow accumulation on the roads in our state — in fact the Governor had “closed the state;” he ordered that travel on state roads be suspended.
A gentleman walked into the restaurant and asked if we were still serving and of course we encouraged him to come in. He asked me to wait a moment and then he pulled his vehicle (a 25′ limousine) into the driveway, and aided an older Japanese man and his wife from the car.
The couple had reservations at a hotel about 30 miles away. They’d flown in to New York City from Tokyo and were visiting their son at a private school nearby our restaurant (in Connecticut). With about three feet of snow on the ground, there was no possible chance the bulky luxury vehicle could make it to their destination. The poor folks were absolutely terrified; they’d never been in a teeming snow-storm before. The limousine driver, although polite, was doing little to assuage their concerns. The best he could do was to stop for dinner (at a Chinese restaurant — he didn’t realize that his customers were Japanese nor did he realize that the two countries’ cuisines are completely different).
As I served some hot tea and soup to the couple, it became obvious to me that although the husband was being brave and stoic, his wife was in a state of sheer terror; she was physically shaking. Of course I offered strong drink but alcohol, at that point, was certainly the last thing they needed. The wife actually thought that they’d have to spend the night in their car; something I’m certain that she thought may end up being life-threatening for a number of reasons.
While my staff presented them with a delightful meal, I got on the phone to a hotel around the corner from our restaurant. Thank God they still had accommodations for the couple! Sadly, I had to make additional arrangements for the driver at another hotel. It wasn’t that far away and he told us that he could negotiate the few miles past his customers’ hotel to stay there.
At first, the couple (who again, had thought they were either going to spend the night in our restaurant, or worse, their limousine) couldn’t believe what was happening. When we finally convinced the wife that she’d be “home” in a matter of a couple of minutes after a drive down the main road we were located on (which was being plowed about every hour) she literally fell to pieces with delight. The tears of appreciation (and relief) poured down her cheeks and I, frankly, became quite moved by the situation as well. The couple ate with gusto, enjoyed what I suggested they eat, and tipped 100%.
I gave the couple and the driver my card and made sure that in the morning I called the hotel to see if everything was alright (to their credit, it was a Marriott Courtyard property — the folks there wowed this couple, who’d been used to staying in accommodations much more de luxe than the “business travelers'” property I reserved for them). My contact at the hotel confirmed that the couple were well-rested and had actually enjoyed their stay.
Then, when the limousine pulled up in front of our door the next day, I was rather surprised.
The couple were on their way, finally, to see their son. Of course, they had to eat and they felt that they had an obligation to eat with us, once again, because we’d taken such good care of them the previous evening.
Given the fact that the gentleman had given me a significant gratuity above and beyond the 100% tip they gave my staff; I comped their lunch. They were very grateful and got back into the car for the last leg of their journey refreshed and optimistic.
About two weeks later, a package came from Japan. It was an exquisite piece of Japanese artwork — with a concentration on the colors our restaurant’s decorated in. What a show-piece! Later, a friend who’d traveled extensively in Japan confirmed my suspicions… the gift was an extravagantly expensive token of the couple’s appreciation. I’ll tell you now that I certainly never expected any sort of gratuity for merely showing concern for my fellow human beings.
The only thing we regret is that because the couple’s son graduated from the nearby school that year, they never had occasion to visit us again. We’d have loved to see them under better circumstances.
My wife and I just came back from an overnight stay at the Mountainview Grand Resort in northern New Hampshire. It’s ironic to see the “overserved” post on the blog so shortly after returning home. The place was beautiful, lovely for a wedding with Mt. Washington in the background as our friend’s daughter got married. But along with the great time, nice place and good friends my wife and I couldn’t get over the people working there. Everyone we encountered there could not do enough to help us – from the gentleman greeting us at the door (who brought my buddy water after his run Sunday morning) to the guy that parked out car – to the waitress happy to bring another table setting. Clearly the mission was to make us happy. It was a glorious wedding in a beatiful setting but we just couldn’t stop talking about how nice the people were.
Paul’s experience at “D&D Automotive” makes me want to drive through Wisconsin just so that I can break down in Stevens Point! Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be many businesses (especially auto repair) as “client friendly” as “D&D Automotive” appears to be. Imagine your auto mechanic leaving mints on your driver’s seat as you depart? Sounds like the Park Plaza of automotive repair shops!I hope AAA has this establishment at the top of their preferred list!
I have a short list of words that send tremors through me and one of them is mechanic along with a couple of others like (doctor, plumber, computer tech etc). This was a wonderful story and excellent example of outstanding service that was fair and equitable. I would be screaming it from the mountain tops too! All of the nodes, help us to remember to say those very special words… “thank you”.
Once again, a valuable read,
Enjoyed our chat today,
All the best
Penelope
I LOVE it when that happens. I have indeed been overserved, and every time I can’t wait to tell everyone about the business in question.
Which I think is important. It’s hard, in the service industry, to give everyone your best every day (I’m a massage therapist at present, and have years of experience in various service oriented fields – everything from hostess to call center staff).
Rudeness is completely not appropriate, but there is also a huge gap between mediocrity and excellence, and businesses/individuals who commit to the latter deserve to be praised from the highest rooftops around!
Customer Service that is positively a package beautifully wrapped and topped off with a sparkling bow and lovely note!! Awesome. It sets the bar for all of us serving the public to “take an inventory” of our own ‘stories’ that we send our customers off with!! A great one to share and be inspired/motivated by!!! Thank-you!
My sister and brother in law had an incredible “over” service experience when they visited last summer. Upon leaving my house to head back to NJ, their car wouldn’t start. It was a 90 + degree day, and they have a 2 yr old, and since I was at work they had locked the keys inside behind them. The Gulf station on Dot Ave & Columbia Road brought my little niece inside to the a/c and bumped them to the front of the queue so they could get started on their 5 hour drive home. I like doing business with kind people and subsequently have bought lots of gas there in the past year!
When I was a cashier in a large retail store, I had an incident in which a customer in my line was talking about how she and her husband were out of work and needed a job. It is unusual for me to do this, but I mentioned her difficulty to the next woman in line, who asked if the previous customer were still in the store. I pointed the customer out to her, and the next woman in line went to talk to her.
Well, when the woman came back to finish checking out, she told me that she needed a administrative assistant for her construction company, and it turned out that the woman she talked to had experience doing just that and she offered her an interview! It gave me chills. I never found out if she actually got that position or not, but it was one of those rare times when you feel like you are helping people and you enjoy your job.