I had a meeting yesterday with an individual who did just that over three years ago. He was fresh out of college and doing group sales packages for a minor league baseball team. I called wanting to put together an employee night at the ballpark. It was the usual interactions, all by phone and email. So when game night came along, I wasn't expecting to see him at the door of the suite waiting specifically to introduce himself personally and make sure everything was satisfactory. I saved the business card he gave me that night to call him directly for future events.
Fast forward 2 months. Out of no where, I get an email from the guy letting me know he'd seen a magazine ad that featured my dad, his wife, and her new 7 series BMW and wanting to congratulate the company on the publicity. First, thoughtful of him to remember that many details about a customer he'd worked with one time. I asked him which magazine and if he knew where I could get a copy to get the ad framed for my dad. He said he'd send me the copy he had. Really didn't expect that and I was incredibly impressed. Turns out, he didn't just mail it. He took the time to drive it over to the office personally--I'd been out when he stopped by, but wow, that's amazing service.
I sent him a thank you email immediately, and I connected with him on LinkedIn not long after that. This guy clearly had some excellent sales and customer service qualities. Where ever he ends up, he's a great person to stay in touch with.
As luck would have it, a few months later my company was looking to hire a sales person. I sent him an email right away. He was flattered I thought of him, but he'd recently changed jobs and was really excited about the new one. I understood and we talked briefly to see if there was a way we could use his services. Unfortunately, the field he went into wasn't compatible with mine. He understood, didn't press, and we agreed to keep in touch in case either of us ran across something.
Last week he sent me an email about a job fair. I get emails like this ALL THE TIME. "Advertise with us! Reach over 500 prospective employees! Blah, blah, blah." I work in a strange industry and recruiting people isn't as simple as participating in a job fair. Most people we recruit have never been in our industry, never realized it was an industry, and when they tell their networks where they moved they get asked why. It's a great industry, very robust, and lots of money to be made by good people--it just doesn't scream glamor and excitement. And it takes a very unique skill set to be successful. Mass appeal need not apply.
Anyway, I responded back to this guy specifically because of everything he's done building up to this point. And I'm discussing it with our HR people today to see if it's worthwhile for them. And I'm going to get back with him quickly with a real answer. He's done so many things for me without me ever asking, I owe him at least that much. And THAT'S what great customer service is all about. If you treat everyone like they really matter, and aren't just a means to an end, it will pay off. I still want to recruit the guy for sales for our company. With the right tools and support, he could make a major impact on our bottom line and be a stellar representative on the company's behalf.
I think it's sad how difficult it's become to find people like this. But I do have a handful of these stories and I remember the people. I stay in touch with them, and as a general rule I don't like many people. I'd like to think I've helped a few people in a similar way over the years and they remember me for it. I know of two people and one company that remembered me for work I'd done for them in the past. That's really what it's all about. It's almost too simple yet so hard to find in practice.
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