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It's the putting right that counts

There was a mail-order company which was very active in New Zealand several decades ago.

Although "LV Martin" generally offered reasonable products at reasonable prices, they gained a nation-wide reputation because, as the company owner would regularly tell a TV audience "it's the putting right that counts".

The reputation of this whiteware retailer from a small provincial NZ town was known world-wide and his mail-order business grew enormously because of the emphasis placed on ensuring customer satisfaction and going the extra mile to make sure that any problems were addressed; promptly and effectively.

Other very successful Kiwi companies have also learned the importance of focusing on customer satisfaction. For example, The Warehouse's catch-phrase of "and a money back guarantee with proof of purchase" has given people the confidence to buy from the red sheds that litter the landscape.

And last week, an international company that has a lot of red in its logo also showed the world how to "put things right" and gave a wonderful lesson in how important good customer service is to creating and preserving your good name.

The company is Sparkfun Electronics, based in the USA.

Sparkfun itself is a brilliant example of how a small handful of people with a good idea and a commitment to customer satisfaction can become incredibly successful in a short amount of time. Indeed, it's well worth reading about their history

Their prices aren't earth-shattering -- in fact it's generally much cheaper to go shopping on eBay if you're looking for a particular component .

Their range of products isn't earth-shattering -- DigiKey, Mouser or Element14 have a much larger catalog from which to choose.

However, Sparkfun is a geek's delight because they stock "interesting" stuff and they have created an active community of like-minded individuals who share their knowledge and ideas with others.

Recently though, they had a problem... a big problem.

It was Sparkfun's job to build the MicroView project which was funded via a kickstarter campaign.

Now as most reading this column will know, virtually all electronic devices these days also require software to make them work. In the case of the MicroView, the critical bit of software that was a crucial component of the device is a bootstrap loader. This firmware allows users to upload their own "sketch" to the device.

Imagine the horror when, after shipping almost 2,000 units, Sparkfun realised that they'd forgotten to flash the device with this critical piece of code.

Uh-oh... what do you do?

Lesser companies may have issued a request for all those affected to return their devices for reprogramming.

Even worse companies may have simply placed a .hex file on their servers and told people to go buy an ICSP programmer, download the .hex and reflash the device themselves.

Sparkfun however, demonstrated exactly why they have such a powerful reputation and loyal customer-base.

They immediately sent new product to those affected -- and told them to keep the one they'd already received.

Now that's customer service!

I've had similar levels of great support from SparkFun in the past. When they forgot an item in one of my orders they sent it out by FedEx the same day I advised them of the mistake.

I was very impressed, and that's why I check the Sparkfun website every week and, from time to time, I buy the occasional product from them.

By looking after people in this way, companies like SparkFun effectively receive that all-important "word of mouth" promotion that no amount of ad-spend can buy.

OMG... I've just engaged in that "word of mouth" promotion. It looks as if the $12 Sparkfun spent sending me a $5 item has paid big dividends for them.

All businesses should learn from this.

What can readers cite as the best examples of customer support and the worst? What are your experiences inside NZ and out?

Relevant link: What to do when you screw up 2,000 orders

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