When Something Big Goes Wrong, What Does the Business Do?

I often say that one of the best ways to judge a company’s commitment to customer service is by how they handle things when something goes wrong. An auto body shop I did business with recently passed that test with flying colors.

The damage from a car accident cost more than $3,000 in repairs, and the job took several weeks to complete. Happy to get the vehicle back after so long, we drove right to a car wash. Minutes later, the manager called me over to point out that radiator fluid was pouring out of the vehicle. Nearly everything under the hood had just been almost entirely re-built, including the radiator!

Here’s the happy ending. The shop owner did not hesitate or waffle when it came to solving the problem. He promptly sent a tow truck, ordered a rental car, offered to investigate what went wrong, made the repair, and road tested the car again. The solution cost him money, but he knew it was the right thing to do. That’s the way to earn a customer for life.