I purchased a filing cabinet from Office Depot last week. They didn’t have any in stock, so they promised to deliver it the next day. Sure enough, the big truck pulled up outside and they brought in my filing cabinet in a big box. The driver promptly made me sign a form saying I received the item and they were quickly on their way.
I didn’t get around to opening the box until the next day. And much to my chagrin, there was a big dent on the side of my filing cabinet. So I call up customer service and it appears they’ll come back out and bring me a new one.
Wouldn’t it have been easier to simply take the cabinet out of the box and let me visually inspect it before leaving? This would have saved the extra hassle of me calling to arrange another delivery.
In your business, don’t leave a customer your product or complete your service without being totally sure the customer is satisfied. Odds are you can fix the problem right then and there. This will make you look responsive and will leave a good impression on your client.
Update: More lessons from Office Depot: