Awesome Product + Awesome Service = Awesome Customer Experience

This was originally published on Shep Hyken’s blog.  Click here to read the original and other fantastic posts by Shep.

There are a couple things you should know about me.  First of all, I love blending things.  Second of all, I’m a very loyal Costco shopper and I’m a big fan of their return policy.

My love affair with blending began when my wife and I got our first blender some thirteen years ago as a wedding gift.  While that blender lasted us seven or eight years, it was always a fairly weak machine.

When it came time to replace it, I turned to Costco.  Blender number one was the least expensive model that Costco carried.  Upon blending my very first smoothie containing a frozen banana, the machine broke.  You could actually shake it and hear nuts and bolts rattling around inside.  I returned it to Costco for another blender that cost about ten dollars more.  That one lasted a little bit longer, but within a few months, my kitchen smelled like burnt rubber and I was left with another broken blender.

Fed up with cheap blenders, I headed back to Costco with my sights set on a real machine.  I was on a mission to get a Vitamix!  Costing more than my three previous blenders combined, I was eager to see how it would perform and if it was worth the money.  After a couple years, I have yet to find a job too difficult for the Vitamix and use it almost every day.  It is truly a well-built, superior machine, and I am a fan!

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when I noticed a small crack in the Vitamix pitcher.  It was at this point that I found myself at a crossroads.  I could easily return the machine to Costco for a brand new one.  Yes I know it seems like an abuse of the system, but I guarantee they would take it back.

Being a connoisseur of awesome customer service stories, I opted instead to contact Vitamix directly and see if they would stand by their seven-year warranty.  After filling out their email form, I was delighted to receive a response from Tori in Customer Service, letting me know they were sending me a new pitcher!  I didn’t even have to mail the cracked pitcher back and I received the new one in a few days.  The decision to go directly to Vitamix with my problem really paid off.

Here are a few things Vitamix did right:

1. Vitamix makes a quality product.  The old adage “You get what you pay for” applies here.  The Vitamix is a high-quality, durable blender.  After breaking three inexpensive blenders, I am a believer!
2. Vitamix Customer Service exceeded my expectations.  I expected to have to spend time and money to replace the pitcher.  Even a trip to Costco would have been a minor inconvenience.  Instead, the customer service team was empowered to simply send me a new pitcher after the exchange of just a couple emails.  There was absolutely no inconvenience to me as the customer.
3. They gave me every reason to remain loyal.  I’m sure most people have heard of other brands like Ninja and BlendTec, who are touting high-end blenders that are competitive with the Vitamix.  In a moment of truth where Vitamix could have mishandled my request, they were flawless.  In the words of Shep Hyken, they created a Moment of Magic!

I apologize if this reads a bit too much like an ad for Vitamix, but really it’s just another example of a company that demonstrates how to pair awesome customer service with an awesome product in order to deliver an awesome customer experience.  I think you’ll agree with me that these are the best companies to do business with!

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