They definitely won’t let you down, if you know what we mean.
Let’s face it, our country isn’t exactly synonymous with customer service: agents at hotlines passing you around like a volleyball, some really bad lip service, rude staff, even stories of alleged discrimination — you get the point.
So at this point, when we say it’s the little things that count, they really do.
Take this story of Stephanie Vargas, who received fantastic customer service from one of the most popular deodorant brands in the country.
Real talk: it’s bad enough that we have to endure a year-long tropical climate — we don’t really get much variety seesawing between sun and rain all throughout, and those who say they don’t sweat a lot are either lying or just extremely, extremely lucky. It’s even a bigger drawback when you lead an active lifestyle.
Stephanie started practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over a year ago to some pretty amazing results — except for the fact that at the end of her training, she was covered not only in her own sweat, but in everyone else’s hard-earned sweat; it’s a contact sport, after all. She soon found that there was one deodorant that gave her a quick fix for her woes, and it worked out splendidly for her, except for one day when she couldn’t find the product anywhere.
And what would any sensible customer do? She rang up Customer Service to inquire if the product had been phased out. What she wasn’t expecting was the sweet response she got!!
Oftentimes it’s the small things that make us happy, and these small things become big things to us. My recent experience with a customer service agent is proof, and this is my letter to her:
Dear Carmela of Unilever Philippines Consumer Engagement Center,
When I called your office last week, I admit that I didn’t really expect much to come out of the conversation. All I wanted to know was if mydeodorant was still available for sale in the Philippines. You were friendly enough to tell me that, yes, it is still available, and even went the extra mile to suggest where I could find it. Then you asked for my number and told me you would inform the product team about the lack of supply, and that you would get back to me if you find anything. So I put down the phone thinking I was never going to hear from you again, which is what happens 99% of the time.
I exerted a bit of effort to try and find the deodorant, dropping by as many drugstores and supermarkets as I could, but when it became clear that there just wasn’t any stock, I accepted the fact that maybe I had to find something else to use.
You may be wondering what the big deal is with my deodorant. Let me start from the beginning.
Over a year ago I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and let me tell you, if there’s one thing that’s abundant in BJJ, it’s sweat. And it’s not just my sweat I have to deal with, but the sweat of everyone else I grapple with. A few weeks into training, I noticed that I was starting to smell like the gym, and so the search for the perfect deodorant started. I came across Rexona Clinical Protection after trying several different products that didn’t work for me, and it worked perfectly! So you can imagine the panic I felt when I couldn’t find it anymore.
Now back to you. I was so surprised to hear from you yesterday as I really wasn’t expecting the call back. When you updated me and told me that there really is a shortage of the supply in the market, I was already very grateful to you for exerting effort in getting the information. But I was even more surprised when you told me you had found 2 tubes of the product, and that you would be sending them to me for free!
Thank you so much Carmela, not just because you gave me free products, but because you showed me that true customer service exists after all.
You made me feel like I was the company’s most important customer, even if I was only going to buy one tube of deodorant. To say that you went an extra mile with me is an understatement.
And thank you, Unilever, for caring for your customer, no matter how small the concern. With the service I received, I feel like I won the lottery. You have my respect, and I promise to patronize as many of your products as I possibly can.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Vargas
Thoughts on this?? Have you had a similar experience? Let us know!
