We all have stories about funny – or infuriating – customer service experiences. I’ve had the electrical plug snap off of a small appliance, with absolutely no remorse or resolution from the seller. And the stories go on. So it makes for an even sweeter surprise when customer service exceeds your expectations on the positive side. Here are a few people and places that I would gladly recommend using:
*Joanna (136 8118 8285, joannasmile2000@yahoo.com.cn) is an individual jeweler recommended to me when I wanted to design a gift for my mother. I didn’t want to shop around, and I trusted the references. Joanna recently had a baby – she even called one of her customers from her hospital bed, pre-delivery! — and she was not able to get out to meet me. We communicated through e-mail, and often. While it became obvious that she was going to be out of my budget for this project, her follow up to help me get what I wanted was phenomenal. She set me up with her suppliers, all with no mark up or commission on her end. She worked with me before, during and after the entire process, and while I was not able to work with her directly, I most definitely will use her for a future need. I’ve seen her work and have no doubt that she’d deliver.
*Having recently attended the West Hair Salon grand opening (read past blog here), I was impressed with the owner’s desire to connect with his customers. Dennis’ original salon is in Shanghai, where he works during much of the week, but he clearly makes things run smoothly in this new salon. Upon trying to make my first appointment, I could not reach the salon using the phone number printed. I e-mailed Dennis instead, and he immediately made the appointment for me, setting me up with his top stylist. During the appointment itself, Dennis called me to see if I was pleased, and he followed up again via e-mail, asking for my feedback, critiques included. He seemed genuinely grateful for the input as he strives to make his venture successful.
*We considered a family getaway this Christmas, but we’re simply noncommittal. I was directed to Mercurius Travel, who comes to our clubhouse every Saturday. Savannah is the main contact, and her response to me was immediate. During the process, I was turned over to a colleague, but this person was not nearly as good. Savannah caught wind of this and has helped me ever since with personal attention and service. Mercurius Travel will soon have a permanent location in our clubhouse, and with her attentiveness to customers, we will most definitely use her in the future.
*My girls love going to Kids Plus, the small toy shop in Pinnacle Plaza, and we go there often. Much to my surprise, just before Christmas one of the regular shop attendants handed me a wrapped bag and said it was a gift to us. At home, my girls were thrilled to see that there were Silly Bands jewelry, stickers, window decorations, ornaments and more – two of everything, so they definitely kept in mind that I had two girls. I took this as an acknowledgment of our regular patronage there. Impressive.
*We all have our favorite tailors for various reasons. I don’t frequent the one at Pinnacle Plaza often, simply because their prices are higher and turnaround time longer. However, they do have fabric in the store, and they speak English. This Christmas, however, they did something for me that makes me want to go there more often. My husband’s annual Christmas Eve gift of pajamas did not arrive in time for one of my daughters. I knew I would not find what she likes readily in stores here. On Wednesday, I raced to the Houshayu market and found material that would work, then raced back to this tailor to see if he could make a nightgown and matching doll nightgown…by Friday. I was thrilled to pick up the nightgowns on Friday afternoon, but after washing them and getting them ready to wrap, my older daughter noticed that there was no way my youngest would fit her head through the opening. At 4pm on Christmas Eve. I hurried back to the tailor and he fixed it on the spot, all at no extra charge. The fact that he helped my daughter squeal with delight that night was just wonderful, and I will give him more business because of it.
I am happy to share contact info for any of the above, and please share your experiences with us as well!
