Community. Goodwill. Customer service.
Located in the heart of Ohio Amish country, sits a low volume electronics job shop, RBB Systems. You might think it a strange place for a shop that specializes in custom printed circuit boards but it’s not really. It’s an area populated with people who embody the values we look for in our employees – hard-working, reliable, trustworthy, eager to help and willing to move heaven and earth for our customers.
A guy from a small local electrical shop walks in carrying a circuit board in a cardboard box. He’s purchased a piece of equipment and the circuit board was wired incorrectly. Could we help him? Not sure. We didn’t build the board but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look at it.
Not only did we look at it, we fixed it. Fifteen minutes later, our friend is walking out the door with a board that will now work when connected.
“What do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
The guy grins from ear to ear. “I’ll remember this!” he calls over his shoulder as he walks out the door.
Community. Goodwill. Customer service.
The phone rings and it’s a call from one of our local industries – a nationally known potato chip manufacturer. They have a production line down. Do we have a couple of XYZ widgets they can buy?
Sure. C’mon out.
Twenty minutes later, one of the potato chip reps is walking out our door with a handful of parts that will keep their production line running.
“What do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
“Thanks! “ as she grins her way out the door. She’s back in 30 minutes with a couple of cases of potato chips fresh off the line - so fresh they are still warm.
Community. Goodwill. Customer service.
An older couple walks in the door. They have just traveled from Florida to wintery Ohio in their RV with a furnace that isn’t working. He’s carrying a circuit board. The manufacturer told them that the board in the furnace needs replaced. Can our low volume electronics job shop test it? In this instance, we couldn’t. But we did give them some suggestions on where to go and what to do next. And while we couldn’t accommodate them, they still left feeling valued.
Community. Goodwill. Customer service.
There’s customer service and then there’s an innate willingness to try to help anyone who walks in the door. There’s taking care of the big customers and then there’s the attitude that anyone who needs our help is a customer of importance. Customer service isn’t golf outings and logoed coffee cups. It is nurturing a sense of community and goodwill in a way that let’s your customers – big ones, small ones, and the guy who wanders in the door – know that they are valued and respected.
What does customer service mean to you? How does your company ensure you're providing quality customer service? Let us know below or connect with us on the RBB Facebook page or tweet us on Twitter.
Kathy has been with RBB since 2007. While her official title is Executive Assistant, her diverse work experience has allowed her to be involved in many different areas of the company including buying, HR and the community outreach team.
