• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

My Super Bowl Sunday Customer Satisfaction Contest

By Glenn Muske

happy customer

Photo (CC) by Dan Taylor, Flickr

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. I knew two teams were vying for a trophy. And the media didn’t let me forget that lots of advertisers were going for best commercial.

What I didn’t know was that I also would be running a contest, a contest in terms of customer satisfaction (the customer being me).

Here is the brief play-by-play. You can decide who won in terms of a satisfied customer.

The first company missed a promised delivery.  When called, a courteous person answered quickly, took our information, and indicated that a redelivery would be made. However, the day ended and we never received our item. (This story doesn’t end. On Monday, another call was made and another promise was made. The delivery arrived today, Wednesday.)

Company two took my online order and everything worked well and the order went through. However, the confirmation email didn’t have the entire order on it.  Adding to the situation was my failure to not review the email until probably 30 minutes had passed. So 30 minutes before the promised delivery time (on one of the biggest pizza delivery days – okay you know what this company sold), I called. Again prompt pickup of the call. I explained the situation fully expecting to be told that my order would be delayed or that it would come at two different times. Instead, the person who took my call quickly pulled up my order. The missing item was added back in and I was told that everything would arrive on time. Needless to say, I was skeptical.

Within 5 minutes of the scheduled time, there was a knock on the door and my entire order was there, hot and tasty, ready to be enjoyed.

So who won my customer satisfaction contest? Who will get word-of-mouth testimonials?

Customer satisfaction – make promises and keep those promises. (And don’t promise if you can’t deliver.)

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Glenn Muske

Glenn Muske is an independent expert on rural small business, working as GM Consulting – Your partner in achieving small business success. He provides consulting, and writes articles for county extension agents and newspapers across North Dakota. Previously, he was the Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist at the North Dakota State University Extension Service – Center for Community Vitality.
  • Change - December 26, 2018
  • Regular Customers Form Your Base - December 12, 2018
  • Disasters: Is Your Small Business Ready? - December 5, 2018
  • Business Startup: Steps to Remember - November 28, 2018
  • HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM SMALL BIZ SURVIVAL - November 21, 2018
  • Finding a Business Idea - November 14, 2018
  • Does Your Networking Have Punch? - November 7, 2018
  • Build Tomorrow’s Community Business Sector - October 24, 2018
  • Are You Changing? - October 17, 2018
  • Is it really a deal? - October 10, 2018

February 5, 2015 Filed Under: customer service, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: effective marketing, small business, success

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2023 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in