Customer Service
I want to share a couple of customer service interactions we have had in the last week that were amazing!
The first invokes our recently departed big dog. Because of his size, we had bought the huge bags of dog food for him (our vet encouraged us to buy better quality dog food because it’d be better for him and us long term). When online ordering became possible, we started buying our pet food from an online company (unfortunately for the Fed ex guy who has to tote the box to our door), and have been a customer for many years. Anyway, my wife set up an auto order system and near the end of his life, we started feeding him a very expensive high protein soft food. After he passed, the auto delivery shipped before my wife could cancel it. She called this companies customer service line and they suggested refusing acceptance by the carrier. The amazing part of the story was not how nice they were in instructing us how to handle it, but a bouquet of flowers were delivered two days later from this company expressing their sympathy on our loss. My wife posted about this on Facebook and saw other people posting similar stories of the company’s expression of condolences in their situation. We have other pets and I’m sure more yet to come and the impression that company made on us will keep us as loyal customers for a long time. I cannot name the company, but it rhymes with Huey.
The second story involves our very own Jars of Clay Children’s Center, located during the week inside of our church. On a Friday morning, our niece called us and asked if we could watch their boys for an undetermined number of days while they went to take care of some urgent family business in another state. I was pegged to pick up the two older boys from their home and their youngest from the center. Now, not to overstate this, but a lot has changed in how kids are dropped off and picked up from daycare in the 30 plus years since our son was enrolled in one. My plan was to get their other two boys when they got home from school, then pick up the youngest. I walk in to the church, as I have many times, except now I’m entering as a guardian to pick up a kid from daycare. I ask the first person I see and they point me to his room. He grabs his stuff (being very excited about his money which is in paper envelope - I still don’t know what was in it) and I ask how to check him out. I must have looked like a deer in a cars headlights with the blank look on my face when I suddenly see the Director (our Pastor’s wife), pop her head out and tell me that she took care of it for me. It made me feel great that not only did she know what was going on but she was aware that I did not know the procedure/process in today’s world.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4 ESV
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. ’Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? ’And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” - Matthew 25:34-40 ESV
Something that I found helpful many years ago was smiling and making eye contact with people when I passed them on the way somewhere. It has always amazed me that when you do that, it is almost impossible for the other person not to smile back at you. I have also noticed whenever someone smiles at me when they pass me, my day is just a little better. The power of helping each other is beyond secular comprehension.
