Sometimes the best customer service education lessons come from service providers who do all the right things at the right times and in the right ways. One such lesson came to me during a taxi ride. This was no ordinary ride, however.
I had an amazing experience in a brand-new, all-white Mercedes taxi. But it was not the car that impressed me – it was the driver, who clearly understood a thing or two about customer service education.
Martin Lim picked me up in his spotless taxi with current magazines in the back, a selection of CD music, a mobile phone for my use, digital video TV and an Internet-linked palmtop computer mounted on the dashboard. Lim maintains a database of his regular customers and even sends "Thank You" notes by e-mail after the ride.
By the time we reached my destination, I did not want to get out of the car.
Does all this investment pay off? Lim makes four times what an average taxi driver makes in his city. But then he is not a taxi driver. His (self appointed) title is "Provider of Personalized Limousine Service."
He even has a nickname – "Elvis." The name was given by a former customer, and it sticks. After months of loyal taxi travel, this customer bought a car. But he kept Lim's contact information handy.
Now, whenever the former customer finds himself lost on city streets, he calls Lim on the mobile phone and says, "You're the king of the road! Can you help me figure out where I am, and how to get to where I 'm going? "
Key Learning Points
Elvis stood out from the crowd by doing things more, better and different from the rest. He was not just a singer. He was the King. You can be, too. Take a customer service education lesson from the King of the Road to improve your own business.
Action Steps
Give yourself a customer service education by studying what everyone else is doing in your business, and then do something else. Make an extra effort. Get busy. Get famous. Get rich. Get a customer service education that pays off!