One Chance to Make a Good Impression
May 1, 2010 by Philippe Rodrigue · Leave a Comment
A couple of years ago, after closing a long escrow, I decided to treat myself and buy a new belt. Something really nice, and a bit more than I would ordinarily spend. I went into a local store here in Brentwood that specializes in belts and boots and such, and picked out a nice Ostrich belt that ALMOST matched the color of my favorite pair of shoes. The shoes were showing some wear so I decided to have the store strip and re-stain the shoes to match the belt exactly. Simple, right?
Not so much.
When I went back a couple of weeks later to pick up my shoes and belt (very exciting!!) I was handed a brown paper bag. Inside were my shoes and belt.
The shoes looked new. They were shiny, clean and immaculate. The only problem was that they looked like a cup of coffee with heavy cream. While the belt was still the deep reddish/orange/brown color I had originally chosen. Hmm… The colors were nowhere close to being the same. And the heels on my shoes were still very worn down.
So I mentioned to the store clerk that my previously matching shoes/belt combo were now not even in the same color spectrum. Their response? They said, “Too bad”. The store would not fix the color, would not take the belt back (even though it had never left their store), and would not even refund the $25 they charged me for “refurbishing” my shoes. Hmm…
Someone in my office recommended that I go to the Brentwood Country Mart Shoe Repair (BCMSR) to have my shoes “fixed”. BCMSR not only fixed my shoes, but they did it in ONE day, the color matched my belt perfectly, they replaced the worn heels, and did it all for the exorbitant cost of…FREE!!!!!!!
FREE??? Please understand, this was my first ever visit to the BCMSR so they did not “owe” me anything.
Oh, and another thing? They were super nice, too.
In the couple of years since this happened, I have sent BCMSR too many clients to count. How many have I sent to the “other store”? None. On the contrary, I have gone out of my way to tell everyone I know this story, and to do everything in my power to make sure they do not shop at the “other store”.
The first store missed an opportunity to create goodwill in their neighborhood, and they blew it. While the Brentwood Country Mart Shoe Repair stepped up and created a client for life. They get my highest rating for customer service and caring.
