Have you ever purchased a product that had a guarantee? Perhaps a cleaning product that guarantees to get the stain out or a lawn product that guarantees to stop the growth of weeds in your yard? We’ve all seen the commercials on TV and ads in the magazines making promises to guarantee the product to do what it suppose to do. Unfortunately, many businesses say they guarantee a product but often make some claim in fine print, exceptions that in your case the guarantee doesn’t apply. Many of us are very skeptical when it comes to guaranteed promises. Can you blame us?
I would like to share with you one small business that surprised me and my wife by standing by their guarantee. Recently, my family went on a ski trip to Snowshoe, WV. After packing for the trip, we realized that our boys needed new ski gloves. When arriving at the Snowshoe Resort area, we stopped at a local ski rental and clothing store (The Ski Barn) to look at their selection. The weather forecast called for rain so we were looking for ski gloves that were waterproof.
We purchased two pair of gloves that claimed to be waterproof. These gloves were not cheap. After the first two hours of skiing in the rain, the gloves were soaked. Needless to say we were very disappointed. Our lunch breaks and evenings were spent trying to dry out their gloves using a hairdryer.
When departing for home, we stopped by The Ski Barn again to look at their end of season clearance sale and my wife wanted to share our frustration about the gloves. I didn’t expect much of a response since we had used the gloves for three days. We expected they were going to use the excuse that the gloves were worn and nothing would keep our hands dry in the rain. My wife asked whether she needed to contact the manufacturer about the waterproof claim.
First of all, the sales clerk was very empathetic and understood our frustration. She got the manager to talk to my wife. After showing her and the manager the label that stated the gloves were waterproof, the manager gladly agreed to exchange the gloves at the full price we paid. Wow were we surprised!
Whit, the store manager then offered to allow us to utilize the “Buy One, Get One Free” clearance special to upgrade to a better glove. A very smart move on his point. Not only did he make my wife very happy, we ended up buying four new higher priced gloves for the family, spending even more money.
Do you think we would have spent more money at The Ski Barn if the manager had said he was sorry but could not do anything about the gloves? What do you think we would have told our friends? Although we were very disappointed about the product during our ski trip, we were pleased in the end by the store manager’s response and have become a fan of the store for any future purchases.
Do you offer a guarantee for your product or services? Do you stand by it 100% to satisfy your customers? The R.E.I. camping and outdoor clothing store does. They know first-hand the importance of quality outdoor gear and stand behind all of their products with a 100 % satisfaction guarantee for an entire year. LL Bean guarantees their products for a lifetime. What is your guarantee?
I offer a 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE to my clients. When booking me to speak or deliver a training workshop, if their audience is not satisfied after my presentation, I will gladly refund my entire speaking fee. How many speakers do you think will make that offer? I certainly stand behind my presentations as being content driven, inspiring and entertaining. If I can’t deliver that to my clients then I have no business being a speaker. As a result, many of my clients tell me that they loved my presentation and that I was the best presenter they had ever heard. I certainly appreciate their kind comments as proof that I delivered on my promised guarantee. Every business should want to stand by their product or services.
Why you should offer a guarantee:
- Guarantees are little extras for your business that customers appreciate.
- A strong guarantee can separate your business from the competition.
- When empathizing with your customers and putting yourself in their shoes, you show your customers that you really care.
- Standing by your guarantee with no strings attached demonstrates integrity and trust to create a lasting and loyal relationship with your customers.
- It provides a positive “word of mouth” conversation with others.
Today, many customers have become skeptical with the value and quality of products. What customers really want when doing business is for you to be reliable and do what you say you are going to do. Providing an unconditional guarantee for your product or service is one way to give them what they want. It is also one way to help you create that “magical” customer experience. I GUARANTEE IT!
Always Wishing You Magical Success!