Customer Service Vs. Advertising and Marketing Budgets

Companies go to great expense to lure customers - so it only makes sense to treat that customer with some care when he or she is in your shop. An ad campaign might cost tens of thousands of dollars with the hope that a handful of new customers might be lured into trying your products or services. It becomes a problem when those who deliver that service fail to recognize the opportunity to create a loyal customer and instead turn that visitor into someone who will never return for any reason again.

I had an unfortunate experience recently when seeking a warranty repair on ball joints and wiper motor and an oil change for my Dodge Durango. I came away with a firm commitment never to visit Fairbanks Dodge of Coconut Creek ever again.

I had a coupon for an oil change but hadn’t noticed that it expired a few days before. Rather than honoring the coupon, I got a high-pressure ‘sales’ job on why it would be necessary to go for a $700 ‘package’ of ‘services’ Fairbanks Dodge offers for a Durango with 30,000 miles. According to the manual that comes with the Dodge Durango, most of the services Fairbanks was trying to sell were not required at that mileage. I had always followed the book on maintenance so I was shocked at the sticker price for their 'services'.

I later relented to the pressure to perform a tune-up with dire reports of ‘carbon build-up’ (even though the engine ran perfectly and spark plug replacement wasn’t recommended until tens of thousands of miles later). On the bill, I was charged an additional $18 for a 'Hazardous Waste Fee' above and beyond the price for the tune-up. I assume this extra charge went for a 'cermonial burial' of my 8 spark plugs! They must be in a special cemetary for spark plugs now or in a spark plug heaven somewhere. I'll give them credit in improving the idle when the air conditioning is off.

The service and repairs took all day and, because it was a hot day, on the way home I ran the air on high and did not notice until I got nearly home that the fan no longer worked on any position but high. Apparently, upon repairing the wiper motor, the relay for the blower fan may have been damaged. This was not good news because it would necessitate another trip of 40 miles and time off from work to get it repaired.

Days later, I was able to return and was first in line at 7 AM when Fairbanks Dodge opened. It took exactly two hours for this dealership’s repair department to replace a resistor (something that should have been replaced within a few minutes). That was the ‘nail in the coffin’ for me and Fairbanks Dodge and, most likely, for the whole line of Dodge vehicles when it comes to buying a new car again. I won’t forget the poor service and price gouging no matter how many coupons I get from this company again. Dependability and service are something I will put more emphasis when it comes to a new vehicle.

Thanks to the Internet and targeted keywords, consumers can now exchange information in detail on recommendations or cautions about products or services never before available to the common man. Companies seeking consumer's business should keep that in mind. If you're going to the trouble of mailing out coupons, don't forget the customer service when someone comes in!

A good place to read more about customer satisfaction (in this case with online purchases) visit: http://www.shop.org/learn/stats_ebizz_cs.asp