Okay, so this blog could easily have been a rant, but through exemplary customer service it has turned into a rave!

A couple of weeks ago, I had a computer problem, so I took my laptop into my local Best Buy. Through having spent a lot of time in that store, as well as through great advertising, I knew “The Geek Squad” were the ones I needed to speak with. Of course, I have become friendly with the manager because he also sees me in there all the time with handfuls of goodies, and, lo and behold, who should be standing there but Dave, my friendly store manager.

So, Dave convinced me to buy a whole new laptop (great salesman!) and he would fix my old one. Who could argue? Or am I a sucker for buying new goodies? Well…….it didn’t turn out quite as Dave had planned. What started out as a good experience quickly turned ugly. Not only was the laptop not fixed, but it was worse!! So, obviously frustrated, I spoke to the young “Geek” on duty and the manager on duty. The situation went from bad to worse to absolutely deplorable. The two men even got verbally abusive.

Well, although I would love to tell you the goings on of that entire sordid incident I won’t because apparently that is NOT the true Best Buy experience. I had never had such treatment from any store employee and I know that this is not the way any company would want their customers treated.

Here’s the real beauty of the situation: I called the executive offices of Best Buy, knowing that typically 800 customer service numbers are really of no use for major situations and I got a lovely woman by the name of Lisa. She must have stayed on that phone with me at least 30 minutes listening to the awful story. I couldn’t believe that the entire time she had been taking everything down as well as hearing me! What a professional! She assured me she would get the email to Dave and that I should see him on Saturday.

Cut to Saturday: My trusty store manager Dave had been completely unaware of the goings on and had not yet read his email, but I could see him getting angrier and angrier the more I told him about the “incident.” (I could tell Dave was angry because he got professionally quiet). He was just as horrified as Lisa had been and assured me “things” would be handled appropriately, but, most importantly, he wanted to make a customer happy. All I wanted was for the old laptop to be fixed, but after he looked at its current state, he closed the top and said, “No, I am not going to fix this. We are going to give you a new one for all of the trouble.” WOW – I was astounded!!

What’s the moral of this story? Customer service! I have been a loyal Best Buy customer for years now, but guess what? I am more loyal now than ever because they took a catastrophic situation and completely turned it around. I would have been happy with a fix, but Dave and the company went above and beyond. With customer service like that they deserve all the customers they can handle and a successful future!

Reprinted from my blog at a national travel magazine