In many of my previous blogs I've written about the many advantages of buying from a local retailer such as Manny's vs. a "big box" store.
I've discussed such advantages as product knowledge of our salespeople, access to exclusive rebates, after-sale support with our own delivery and service departments, and even our aggressive pricing. I think it's long overdue that I discuss another of these reasons, namely the quality of the support and caring we can offer as a local business.
Here are two stories in which my co-workers went out of their way to ensure their customer was taken care of:
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| Our showroom in Sutton MA |
One day the week before last Mark, the store manager of our Sutton MA store, stopped into my store here in Westfield (MA) to pick up a stove. For those not familiar with the towns, Sutton is 50 miles and one hour, four minutes away from Westfield (I checked on GPS). Mark had called earlier confirming that I did indeed have one of the models that he needed (I did, although it was my "demo" model in excellent condition - and not in a box.)
"So what made you make the drive all the way out here?" I asked him as we wrapped the stove to ensure its safe transport.
"Well, I have a customer who's closing and moving in to a new house tomorrow. The stove he ordered was backordered and twice did not arrive when the manufacturer told us it would. I wasn't going to delay one of my customer's closing, so here I am."
I nodded, appreciating and admiring the extra effort that Mark put in to make sure his customer was taken care of.
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| Inside our Westfield MA showroom |
That same week Patrick, the store manager in Westfield, took a phone call from an elderly woman who had a washer delivered the afternoon prior. She had just started her second load when she noticed water leaking from the back. As this was around 5:30 on a Friday, there would be no way to get a service tech out to her home before Monday (at the earliest.) Pat decided to drive to her house on his way home after the store had closed for the night (fortunately in this case she was only a few miles away).
When he arrived he noticed that the washer's drain hose had a split which was causing the leak. He reassured her, and told her that this was something he would be able to take care of without waiting for a service call. The next morning he took a drain hose from our store supply, drove back out, and installed the new hose. Problem solved!
I could quote numerous other examples of what I consider "above and beyond" customer service. Time and time again over the years I've witnessed fellow employees take a personal interest in their customer's experience. From driving out to drop off an accessory that wasn't loaded on a truck, to taking the time to explain features on a new range that can be confusing (the difference between "air fry" and "bake", for example) or to driving out to measure the space in a customer's kitchen to ensure the appliance they want will actually fit in their older kitchen, I've seen our salespeople go that "extra mile" to ensure a satisfactory sale from beginning to end.
If you are already a Manny's customer, thank you!
If not, then next time you need an appliance I ask that you consider us?
Check out any of our thirteen locations in Southern New England (addresses and phone numbers are on the front page of our website.)