I recently sold a car through an auction house. Unfortunately, I’m sad to report that it’s not the exceptional customer service story I’m sharing today; it was the opposite of exceptional. Little to no communication, promises of payment that never eventuated, and close to no response to my emails asking for updates.
When it’s bad, it’s bad, and as consumers, we know it.
But invariably things will go wrong when providing a service, and sometimes I think we fail to acknowledge when these situations are handled well.
Recently, my wife and I refinanced our mortgages (I’m sure you can figure out why we did that), and we used a new mortgage broker. Being self-employed means this process can be arduous and anything but enjoyable, but we knew it was the right thing to do for our budget.
Our financial advisor referred us to new mortgage brokers, Riwaz and Tom from Azura Financial, and we braced ourselves for the roller coaster ride that is navigating banking as self-employed people.
But there was no roller coaster, only a smooth sailboat ride, thanks to Riwaz and Tom.
Riwaz was our main contact, and he told us exactly what we needed up front. He kept us updated regularly at regular intervals, and when he needed something additional for the banks, it was clear why he needed it and when he needed it. When we wanted to change something at the last minute, Riwaz’s response was positive and swift.
While it was a smooth sailboat ride for us as customers, I have no doubt that Riwaz and Tom were working hard behind the scenes, handling the bumps and challenges as they arose throughout this refinance process. But these bumps and challenges did not feel like problems to us because they told us about issues immediately and came to us with solutions. Riwaz and Tom worked with us and kept us informed every step of the way until we got the outcome that we were both after; refinance at a good rate that will save us money in mortgage repayments.
Sometimes it feels easier to avoid problems when they arise, but when it comes to providing a service, that often tends to lead to bigger problems.
Don’t be like the auction house I will never use again. Be like Riwaz and Tom from Azura Financial. Any time there’s a problem:
- Get a clear understanding of the issue and potential pathways to a solution.
- Own the issue and communicate early.
- Listen to the customer and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
And not only will you be providing exceptional service, but you most likely will have gained trust and loyalty beyond measure.
Nic McClanachan, August 2023
