What is ‘Legendary Service’?
Legendary Service. Many organizations use this phrase to describe and promote their service. But how many have really earned it?
If you give good service, that’s not legendary. If
you go out of your way for someone, that’s not legendary either. But if you
provide service unsurpassed in your field, that can be legendary service.
Many years ago I lived in the north-eastern United States: cold winters, lots
of snow, great skiing. I bought a pair of silk long underpants by mail order
from a company called L.L. Bean.
The silk was smooth and comfortable, the underpants
nice and warm.
Then I moved, and moved again, and again. I found myself 20 years later
unpacking boxes of clothing in Singapore. There were the old silk
underpants.
They were not much use to me now, living near the equator. And even less
attractive because they had holes in the knees and were fraying at the ends.
I almost threw them away, then remembered that L.L. Bean features a
‘lifetime guarantee’.
I put the underpants in a plain, brown envelope and inserted a simple
handwritten note: ‘Please replace these.’
I didn’t have the company’s full address. I had not ordered clothing from
them for years. On the outside of the envelope I wrote: L.L. Bean, Customer
Service, Maine, USA.
At the post office I felt foolish mailing back such a ragged piece of
clothing. It didn’t seem right to send old underpants all the way around the
world by airmail. So for a dollar I sent them the slow way, by sea.
Time passed and I forgot all about it. Life quickly filled with new sports,
new clothing, and new underpants.
Two months later an envelope arrived from L.L. Bean. Inside was a money
order for one dollar. No explanation, just a dollar. I figured they
evaluated the old clothing and calculated its leftover value! I laughed and
forgot about it.
Another month passed and a bigger envelope arrived. Inside was a brand new
pair of silk long underpants. Same size and color as the old ones, but brand
new!
In time, new catalogs arrived from L.L. Bean and I bought some new clothes.
I always feel safe buying from them. I know from experience their ‘lifetime
guarantee’ is real.
Months later I was in the United States and called to place a holiday order
for some relatives. Chatting with the L.L. Bean telephone representative, I
told her the story of returning my old underpants.
‘One thing still confuses me,’ I confessed. ‘What was the one dollar money
order for?’
Laughing, she replied, ‘Before replacing your underpants, we refunded your
postage!’
Twenty-year-old underpants, gladly replaced, including refund of the
postage. That’s extraordinary. That’s truly amazing. That is Legendary
Service.
Key Learning Point
Using the words `legendary service' is not enough to make it real. You must
expand, imagine, innovate - and take real legendary action.
Action Steps
A legend is a story people talk about with admiration and praise, recounting
some great deed done in the service of others. What great deed can you do
for customers that is admirable, praise-worthy and truly unsurpassed?
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