I’m not sure when we became defensive about customer care became. I suspect it might have been when we began to put more distance between the customer and us. In the days when there was a cash register that rang with ‘real money’, when we sold eye-to-eye and transacted hand-to-hand, instead of digitally, we had no choice but to ‘see’ our customers. The transaction itself was as good as a handshake. Word and bond. No us and them, only us.

Now we build barriers. We expect the customer, not the company, to take responsibility. We create guarantees that protect us from having to fulfil them. We armour up against customers. We require proof of purchase that leaves no room for us to be exploited by the shady few and sadly, fewer opportunities to delight the honest majority.

So when we find a company that cares, no questions asked we should celebrate them. When I buy a Crumpler bag it comes with a lifetime warranty. If it fails, I can bring it back, and they will repair it. The only proof of purchase I need is the product that let me down. What a breath of fresh air.

Caring is simpler than you think. What story does your customer care tell about your company?

Image by Anna D.