« Nominate James Kim as ABC Person of the Week | Main | The power of black pants »

Michael Prospero over at Fast Company points to a "must read" for anyone who's ever had to deal with the language barriers and interminable holds faced by Dell computer customer service.

Like Michael, I'm not a fan of suing someone to get results, but having experienced the challenges with Dell's customer service many times (we have 6 laptops and one desktop -- all Dell -- in the immediate family), I sympathize with the disgruntled customer on this one.

What could Dell have done differently?

For the sake of good customer service and favorable PR, both of which directly impact the bottom line of any business, the more appropriate, not to mention econonmical, response would have been to simply replace the customer's lost laptop (with a brand new laptop, not some refurbishment) and honor the balance of the extended warranty for which he paid. At the very least, it would have been much cheaper than a high-priced law firm in New Jersey.

Your customers are your greatest asset; without them, you have no business. The old service principle "the customer is always right" might not always be the case, but if you want to keep customers, you should at least give them the benefit of the doubt. Remember, a happy customer may tell a friend or two, but an unhappy customer will tell everyone!

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.elizabethcharles.com/cgi-bin/mt-ectb.cgi/813