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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A Pleasant Surprise

It's sad but when I receive great customer service, I really am surprised. The latest incident was at Banfield, the Pet Hospital of all places.

My 12-year old toy poodle, Marty, suffers from a chronic condition called Cushing's disease. He was diagnosed several years ago and has had to take some expensive medicine for the past few years (and for the rest of his life). He's also had to be subjected to some all day testing (that isn't cheap either).

We've had several vets since his diagnosis. The first one was great and we've suffered through everything from pretty good to downright dreadful since then. Anyway, I took him in for some standard vaccines. Because I had to work, I dropped him off in the morning and planned to pick him up that evening.

I got nervous around 10:30 when I got a call from the pet hospital. I was immediately nervous - what was wrong with Marty? I mean, why would they call unless there was a problem, right? Wrong.

It was a new vet and she was calling to introduce herself to me. Over the next 10 minutes, we reviewed Marty's diagnosis and she gave me some information I'd never known about Cushings. She told me when his next test would be scheduled and even how I could save some money on the expensive blood work.

She was pleasant and personable and clearly knowledgeable. I feel completely comfortable knowing that this doctor is in charge of my dog's care.

A lot of times, we focus on customer service being the responsiblity of the front line personnel ... customer service representatives, receptionists and sales clerks. Yet, this experience proves that good customer service isn't restricted to hourly employees who have a first contact with the customers. Professionals ... vets, doctors, lawyers, even teachers, have an important role to play when it comes to customer service and how well they meet that responsibilty can be the difference between a repeat customer and one who takes their business elsewhere!

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