The recent holiday season reminded us of the power of patience, especially the amount that customer service workers are able to possess. Gift-crazed shoppers and last-minute present poachers put big-box store customer service representatives to the test. Since we’ve all been in the shoes of the shopper before, more or less, we can also remember moments where the customer service representative told us “We’re sorry but we can’t do that, it’s against company policy” to something that should’ve been overwhelmingly simple… So, how do you get customer service right, meaning providing reasonable and effective solutions that leave both the business and customer satisfied, without sacrificing company policies?
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the perks of working with local (uniform) companies over national ones, specifically in the realm of customer service.
The People Behind The Policy
Let’s be real: you won’t be talking to Jeff Bezos about your missing Amazon order. In fact, he doesn’t even know about it. National companies operate on a larger scale, naturally, and the people who maintain this large scope of business almost never end up on the front lines of customer interaction. There are plenty of situations in which customer service policies from a national organization won’t effectively direct representatives to an equitable solution, so they’ll simply default to citing the policy as a reason they cannot fully assist.
But when working with a local company, you’ll be able to connect with the decision-makers. Building a relationship with the smaller business might even see you have a stake in some of their newer policies because the business leaders take conversations with you into account. Take that, Bezos. For companies wishing to employ a uniform program for their workers, consider how you might want the ability to speak to some of the higher-ups. At Ace ImageWear, we’ll be sure to understand all of your needs, and we don’t hide behind any “coverall’ policies.
Customer Service on a First Name Basis
Customers of all kinds can agree that speaking to a new customer service representative after they sort through 30 minutes of automated voice option recordings can be tiring. You’re telling me that after fielding through all of those questions, I’m going to have to explain myself all over again? At Ace ImageWear, you’ll hop on the phone with the same person who’s been there since they set up your account. It’s an integral part of our customer service promise to get to know you on a first-name basis. We’ve been doing that since we started, so the national companies definitely have some catching up to do.
Feedback that Fuels Us
We listen to you.
Not akin to a mysterious Oz-like CEO that hides behind stakeholder smoke and managerial mirrors, local company leadership will listen to what you have to say. If you're unsatisfied with your service and share that with your route representative or give us a call, we’ll be sure to address your feedback with you and our entire team. Smaller, local businesses like us have the capability to address issues and find solutions quickly. Have you ever been promised to hear back from someone about a complaint, but never did? We hear about that all too often from national suppliers, but not with Ace.
Are You Ready to Make the Switch?
If you’re starting to realize your national uniform supplier is leaving you shortchanged on quality service, you know who to call: Ace ImageWear. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, and our superior customer service skills will Ace It.
*Pictured above: Top left - Lynn Simmons, center left - Elizabeth Fox, right Gabriel Gonzales