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6 hours ago
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It’s the bad news that tends to capture newspaper headlines and my consumer column is devoted to misery. Spend a year in my shoes and you’ll assume that UK traders are a cartel of con artists. “Broken Britain” is the conclusion of readers who comment. This can be misleading: companies that get it right aren’t a story and most businesses are probably delivering what they are paid to do much of the time.
Meanwhile, eclipsed by the baddies, there are firms that have twigged that customers are not commodities but cherished individuals whose loyalty is priceless. It is these that go above and beyond to make good a wrong and their investment in customer service makes sound financial sense. Three-quarters of complainants who achieve a satisfactory resolution continue their custom, according to a research by the complaints handling experts Huntswood, while the same number flee to rivals if they feel short-changed.
“Companies that get it right at that first point of contact can not only save huge sums in dealing with the complaint itself, but they can turn the complaints experience into a positive for the customer and the firm,” says Huntswood’s chief executive, Martin Dodd. “Providing an exceptional complaints experience is as much about how people feel as it is about the actual event they complain about. Too many businesses lose sight of that.”
Over the past year, readers who have been blindsided by corporate compassion have begged me to highlight their heroes. Many are local independent businesses; some are multinationals. So here, as an antidote to last month’s list of scoundrels, is their moment in the sun.
Unexpected treats award
Even multinationals can have a heart and a very few wear it on their sleeve. AL contacted the clothing firm Bench when the zip on her niece’s favourite jacket broke. “I mentioned that she uses a wheelchair and that the design of the coat was ideal for her,” she writes. “I was hoping for a repair and got a lovely note back from them saying that they were unable to fix it and no longer had that colour in stock, so were sending a similar coat in black along with some ‘treats’. The box contained a gilet in her size, a velvet hoodie and joggers, sock slippers and matching hat and gloves. She is so excited.”
Not at fault award
Most traders will replace or refund defective goods. They’re obliged to under the Consumer Rights Act. But what of those who step up when the problem is the fault of the customer? Take a bow, Shark, SP Connect, Mozzo Coffee and the London Transport Museum. GM of London called Shark for advice when she damaged the head of her carpet cleaner. “A free replacement arrived the next day, when the burn-out was clearly our fault,” she writes.
SP Connect was similarly proactive when SM of Lancaster dropped his bike during a cycling tour and broke the mount that attached his new phone case to the handlebars. “The problem was my clumsiness, not the case,” he writes. “I asked if a repair was possible and in response, although I had no receipt, they offered to replace the case, which arrived within a week.”
Mozzo Coffee, an independent producer in Southampton, delighted RK when she accidentally ordered three bags of beans instead of ground. “I only realised when I opened a bag some time later. I left a voicemail asking whether I could exchange them. They called back to tell me replacements were in the post for free and I could keep the beans.”
And lastly, the London Transport Museum, which, unlike many big venues, took a generous view when Londoner MO and her daughter arrived late for the £90 underground tour they had booked. “Customer services offered to book us into the same tour on a date convenient for us,” she reports in amazement, having expected to lose the money and her treat.
Patron saint of travellers award
Airlines and holiday firms are notorious for their implacability, even when a medical emergency forces a customer to cancel a trip. However, On Foot Holidays went that extra mile when SB of Horsham, Surrey, was referred for a heart scan shortly before a walking tour of Portugal that he’d booked with the firm. “The scan was arranged for the week we were due to be away and our travel insurer said full cover could not be provided until the results were known,” he writes. He and his partner therefore had to cancel the £2,638 holiday and, as they were contractually liable for a cancellation fee of 90%, they expected a £263.80 refund. On Foot Holidays had other ideas.
“They emailed us to say that they would refund the full cost of the hotel we’d booked for the first two nights and the cost of the transfer back to the airport at the end of the trip, together with 10% of the price paid for the five days’ walking and accommodation. £1,054 was credited to my bank account by 9am the following morning. They then asked the other accommodation providers if they could consider any goodwill refunds and managed to recover £650, which we can use as a credit towards another trip with them.”
Singapore Airlines showed rare compassion when AP of Gloucester was taken ill and required emergency surgery on the day he and his wife were due to fly to New Zealand. “After a brief telephone conversation with helpful staff, and my sending a copy of my hospital discharge note to them, Singapore refunded our airfares both ways within 10 days,” he marvels.
Out of warranty award
Some companies deploy cunning or brazen cheek to dodge a claim on goods that break under warranty. A few classy souls stump up even if the warranty has expired. Flymo replaced an expensive part on a robotic lawnmower belonging to LB of Argyll and Bute even though it was a month out of warranty. JH’s RSPB wildlife camera was three months out of warranty when it stopped working but that did not stop the manufacturer, Viking Optical, replacing it free of charge.
EC of Bristol reckons he has used his Stellar stainless steel espresso coffee maker more than 4,000 times since purchasing it from Horwood Homewares 12 years ago. When it stopped working he asked Horwood if they could sell him a replacement valve. “They told me none was available but that they’d send me a new coffee maker,” he writes. “And so they did!”
Flexible approach award
Sometimes a flexible approach is all that’s needed to gratify a discontented customer. CC of Lancaster called her mobile phone provider, Your Co-op Broadband, to discuss a new contract.
“Following two major heart operations and a stroke, I am easily overwhelmed. After waiting over 15 minutes in a queue with no updates, I emailed to protest at being pushed towards their website, which I currently can’t cope with. Within hours, I got an email with an apology from a senior manager, soon followed by a detailed analysis of my recent bills and an explanation of the various options open to me. I was then called by an outstanding customer service agent who talked me through my choices in detail and subsequently confirmed everything in writing. This is the world I want to live in!”
