Bloopers 'n' Blunders

Left at the Curb

A good friend ordered a new washing machine and paid to have it brought into her home and placed in the laundry room, awaiting installation. To her surprise, when she arrived home from work at a local hair salon around 7:15 p.m., she found her new washing machine in a box on the curb in front of her house! She is single, lives alone, and is in her mid-sixties. Moving the washing machine into her home was going to be very difficult, so she called the "big box store" from whom she had purchased it and asked that someone come move it into her home as promised—and as she had paid for.

The manager on duty informed her that they contract with a delivery service and that the company would not be available to move the washing machine until the following Monday when they returned to work. She asked that the "big box store" send someone to move it, but they declined, saying they had no one available.

At that point, she had to become very creative. She got a dolly from her garage and manhandled the washing machine onto it enough to push it up the driveway and into her garage, where it was secure. She then called the “big box store” the following Monday and spoke with the general manager, who promised to "make things right" immediately. Within an hour, movers were at her door to bring the washing machine into the laundry room, and the installers followed shortly thereafter. All's well that ends well?

Customer Service Opportunity
As the business that sold the product, your duty is to ensure that your partners fulfill their commitments and that your business owns the end-to-end process. "Sorry, there is nothing we can do about our partners' poor service" is not the answer. You likely have lost that customer—and all those over whom she has influence. All is not "well."

C. G.—Florida

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