As I write this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Norwalk, Connecticut after having flown into LaGuardia Airport in New York City earlier today. I got off the plane, followed the Ground Transportation signs and hopped on the shuttle bus to the Enterprise Rent-a-Car Center.
When I arrived at the center, Matt Scro, a very friendly and professional manager at Enterprise greeted me at the counter, introduced himself and shook my hand (something that has never happened to me at a rent-a-car facility… ever!).
When I asked him where I could find the “Emerald Aisle”… the issue came to light. My reservation wasn’t with Enterprise… it was with National Car Rental!
[insert what-an-idiot comment here!]
At this point – completely mortified and embarrassed – I assumed my only options were to ride the Enterprise shuttle back to the airport so that I could find the National shuttle… or cab it over to the National center.
Matt wasn’t having any of that. He offered me a bottle of water, told me to sit and relax and he’d take care of it. He then went and instructed his shuttle driver to drop me at the National center on his next run back to the airport. Matt certainly didn’t have to do that, especially in light of the fact that I wasn’t a customer that day (in fact, I was renting from a competitor).
Now look at your company and your staff. I know you’re not in the rent-a-car industry, but given a similar circumstance for your firm… would you “do the right thing” or would you try to convince the client to do something else? Let me ask the question another way… have you ever suggested to a client or prospect that they take their business to another firm that you know would do a better job than your firm on a particular project?
While no one likes to turn away business, if it’s the right thing to do for the client, it will build a level of trust and credibility that virtually nothing else can match. Think about it.
Matt, thanks for representing your company so well last week by delivering a great customer experience for me. Your actions with this non-customer (for now) helped to cement in my mind that Enterprise is a company I will want to do business with in the future.