Excellent customer care

We are normally very keen to criticise and denounce unsatisfactory customer service. And with good reason too. We would all like to get our money's worth.

Let it be said, however, that there are also roses among the thorns. Unfortunately, we seldom find the time to commend those who are professional in the manner they do business and who actually do appreciate the finer points of how to win a client's trust for life.

Well, I am thankful to have been at the receiving end of such service from Fino, the furniture manufacturers. My appreciation for the care and attention shown to me is further reinforced by the fact that I wasn't actually a paying customer.

I was merely the lucky winner of one of Fino's beautiful kitchens during the L-Istrina television charity campaign last Christmas. This did not however deter the management and staff from offering me countless hours of personalised service on several occasions until the finished product was installed and fully met my expectations.

I might add here that I'm not one of the easiest customers to please! Fino's help involved numerous last-minute changes that happened to occur to me at random. They took my excessive claim on their time in their stride, with a smile and with alacrity. As it turned out, the luck of the draw occurred in more ways than one for me.

I wanted to share my experience with your readers in the hope that other businesses will adopt such an approach as their stock-in-trade. Whoever coined the phrase "the customer is always right" certainly knew which side of his bread was buttered.

So instead of bemoaning their rotten luck and blaming a failing economy, entrepreneurs should first examine whether the failing lies at their own doorstep. Looking inward means there is continuous improvement on the product being offered to the customer. It cannot be stressed enough that satisfied customers are consistent customers. Only they can beat the competition and guarantee a flourishing trade for any business.