Service Encounter

Ideal Service Encounter:

My most recent good service example occurred about a month ago and was performed by Amazon.com. We purchased a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner and when the product had yet to arrive, and checking the tracking information which stated the packaged had already been delivered to our address, we presumed it had been stolen from our front porch. We called Amazon to explain the situation and to our surprise, they sent out another vacuum with no charge, not even for shipping. We were extremely satisfied with this level of customer service as we were anticipating multiple scenarios: 1) them taking no action and requiring us to purchase a new one. 2) Paying a portion of a new item. 3) Getting a new item but having to pay for the shipping. None of these three options occurred and they sent the same item completely free.

The result of this ideal service encounter was not solely done by a single employee but created by a company policy to retain current customers and potentially earn new ones. To ensure that this type of satisfaction becomes a "rule," there needs to be clear communication within the Amazon organization so that customer service representatives are able to help customers like us in a quick and timely fashion. They need to be trained in problem solving and interpersonal skills so that communication between the customer and the representative results with the customer having a positive perception of Amazon and continuing to use their online service.

Event though we were already Amazon customers, after this positive experience, they will be our initial focus when it comes to online ordering.