Handling Customer Complaints…The Right Way

Handling Customer Complaints…The Right Way

Last Saturday night, The Wife and I stopped into Fox & Obel. We bought a half-pound of matjes herring for about $7. I had gorged myself on this fish at Tre Kroner’s julbord, so I had a fairly clear memory of how good it could be.

On Monday, we tried the fish…and it was mushy, slightly off-tasting, and just not good.

On Tuesday night, I emailed Fox & Obel and told them that the fish was not good.

On Wednesday morning, I got a call from their client services department, apologizing for selling me something that I thought was not up to par.

Today, I received an express mail envelop with a $25.00 gift certificate and handwritten note: "Please enjoy some new herring on us!" They included a catalog so that, if I so choose, I don’t even have to go back into the store to redeem the certificate.

That – to my way of thinking – is handling a customer complaint the right way.

Fox & Obel
401 E. Illinois
Chicago

Jeez. I'd be plenty happy with a full refund.

That's why I keep going back to F&O so much. While the quality of the product and the variety is also key, the service you get at the place is just so good! People smile; people ask you if they can help you. Staffers go out of their way to get you what you need -- around Thanksgiving I was looking for a loaf of their brioche bread for my stuffing and they only had one out but I didn't want to carry it with me to the cafe where I was meeting someone for lunch. Not only did they hold one back for me...they held one that they hadn't even wrapped up yet -- fresher than the one that was out there and were so very kind about the whole thing.

There's another thread out there about Jewel which I tend to frequent because it's my neighborhood store but I loathe going there. I make up excuses to go to F&O because the experience is just so wonderful. I can justify spending that kind of cash because I don't feel so downtrodden when I leave the place.

Now if only that lotto ticket would hit.

Shannon