One More Step

After two and a half years of some heavy use and abuse, the battery on my Macbook is slowly but surely dying.

I called Apple to see if they could send me a replacement battery, as my computer is still under warranty, but the man on the other end of the line assured me my battery was no longer covered. He said I could order a replacement from their website online or I could look online somewhere else because he knew that Apple.com would be the most expensive.

And that was that.

I was disappointed, but a warranty is a warranty, right? He was just doing his job, and he gave me a nice tip on going somewhere else to get a battery.

But couldn’t he have done more for a loyal customer?

I had already gone online, registered my computer, set up an appointment, described my problem, and waited for him to call. And when the call was finished, I was right back where I started.

What’s the point of offering a suggestion that forces me to jump through more hoops to solve the problem? What if he would have ordered a replacement battery from a reliable third-party he knew, or at least pointed me in that direction, emailed me the link, or connected me to one of their representatives? I would have been elated. Instead, he sent me into the search alone, and without any more direction than I started with.

When you’re in the business (or lifestyle) of helping people, are you just making suggestions, or are you truly serving?

Are you offering help, but not making yourself readily available?
Are you a “customer-focused” business that doesn’t have an email or phone number on a website?
Are you asking a friend to sit with you, or are you physically pulling up a chair for them?
Are you going out of your way, forgetting about the costs, and serving to the point that people call you crazy?

Inconvenience yourself.  Go one more step. Step beyond what’s expected to shock someone in the best way possible.