Bad customer service can leave you feeling flat. But competent, skilled people, who bother to communicate properly, can really put air in your tyres. Carbon Chief Executive Michael tells us about his recent encounter with outstanding client care.
The sinking feeling
That sinking feeling – literally – as you get a puncture on the way to work. And to make things worse, these days we’ve ‘progressed’ from the trusty spare wheel to an ineffective can of something that condemns our punctured tyres to the scrapheap. No chance of patching things up, of making and mending. Talk about exacerbating our disposable society!
Finding the right fit
Now, we’ve seen certain brands of tyre fitting business criticised for poor service. When Watchdog comes a-looking there’s trouble at mill. Imagine this – a tyre replacement service that’s a delight to use from enquiry, to booking, to visit to aftercare. It’s a simple thing to change a tyre, but doing it with excellent customer service is a much bigger challenge. I mean, who knew that people really care about client care when the rubber hits the road?
Enter Gareth Lewis from a franchised business called etyres.co.uk. At first glance, it’s a ‘does what it says on the tin’ type of business: it’s online and they sell tyres! But the etyres.co.uk experience is more than that. They actually seem to be building a brand based on satisfying customers and delivering excellent quality service. The modern world of the web met great customer service in the basic task of changing my tyre. So how did they do it…?
How to get it right
Simple. A clear product that’s easy to use. I could clearly see how to book an appointment at my preferred time and location. Yet that of itself is not novel in the tyre world. It was after my e-booking that the brand really came to life, brought to me by personal service from the call centre that amended my booking, and by the smashing Gareth, who met me at my car at work. Rob in the call centre was personable, friendly, efficient and keen to help. Gareth called to confirm our appointment in a two hour slot the next morning. As I’d requested, he called again when he was ten minutes away. These simple, human touches make all the difference.
To top things off, after fitting my tyres, Gareth confirmed that he’d happily fix future punctures and even refund the cost of tyres I bought with the order. So hopefully that’s the last tyre I’ll lose to the scrapheap!
A happy ending
In the end, my heart sinking moment – the flat on the way to work – led to a strangely joyful experience, borne out of smooth, puncture-proof customer service. That’s what a happy marriage between the web and people feels like. At Carbon, we understand that giving our clients more time and flexibility makes so much difference to their happiness. It was enjoyable to be on the receiving end of this level of care. Ahhh the joy of tyres!