2010 Customer Service Champions

If you’ve browsed through the magazines in the checkout line within the last week or so, you’ve probably come across a lot of headlines that start “Best of” for 2010.

In no particular order, here is my list of customer service champions for 2010.

1. Walt Disney World – Where do I begin? The level of attention to every detail reigns supreme at the world’s number one theme park destination. From naming the streets at the resort hotels (Melody Lane at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort) to pumping scents into the air on Main Street, USA, no element is left out of their planning. Do they get it right all the time? Nope. And they’ll admit it. But you’ll be hard pressed to find a better overall guest experience. Period. Wait. Exclamation point!

2. GoDaddy.com – The domain allforthecustomer.com was on another server. It was about to expire and I thought I would give GoDaddy a try. I had 2 other domains registered with them with the works. I wasn’t using the works and the technician I spoke with (on Christmas day) suggested I cancel the unused services. He didn’t have to do that. But he ended up saving me a ton of money and has made me a customer for life.

3. Chick-Fil-A – “I could eat there seven times a day” claims Tim Hawkins. Aside from what their tagline states about their invention, they take customer service to a different level. Your first visit catches you unaware as you are actually walking into a smile factory instead of a fast-food restaurant. They’ll bring your food to your table, but you place your order at the counter. They’ll stop by and ask if you want your drink refilled, but you place your order at the counter.  They could make millions more, but they’re closed on Sunday. Integrity. Conviction. Service. All with a smile.

4. Publix – They entered the grocery store market in Georgia in 1991. Sample comments from shoppers use terms like “always clean and brightly lit”, “employees are super helpful”, “I am loyal”. In a market where competition was already fierce, Publix brings their style, their cheerfulness, their quality into every store no matter where it’s located. Personal, helpful, and friendly are the three most often used words to describe their employees. Their recent retrofit of several stores in the Atlanta market shows their commitment to stick around for a while. They ask about my kids, my family (who live out of state) and ask about things at work (right down the shopping center). They come into my store and I ask them the same questions.

5. Kohl’s – They know how to draw you in with Marketing. It helps that they have a wide assortment of popular merchandise at pretty reasonable prices. They make sure you see how much you save by circling your savings right on your receipt. EVERY time. It makes it easier to spend. But it is a decoy to draw your attention off the total dollars spent instead of foucsing on the actual dollar about being saved each month.

If you’re not already doing business with these companies, you might need to get out of the cubicle and hit the streets in order to experience them for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.