The smallest things we do can have a huge impact.  This can work for or against us.  If you focus on making them work for you, all the time, you won’t have to worry about them working against you because you will be in the right frame of mind to avoid the bad stuff.

Last month, while SCUBA diving in the Gulf of Mexico just off Sarasota, my dive partner found a knife.  It was a high-end titanium dive knife that had been lost for several months judging by the amount of sediment and algae on it.  Dive knives are worn as utility tools in sheaths either on a diver’s body or on their gear.  Without sheaths the knives are pretty useless for diving.  It is very dangerous to carry loose blades when air hoses are involved.

Being a generous person, my partner gave me the knife (another good story).  I was astounded that the knife was in almost new condition and held a good edge with minimal sharpening and cleaning.  Replacement sheaths are impossible to come by and I had little hopes of finding one, but decided to try anyway.  I searched the web to no avail.

As a last-ditch effort, I emailed the manufacturer’s website general mailbox to see if they could help.  Not expecting a reply, I was shocked when I received one the next day.  They sent a replacement sheath and asked only that I help spread the word about the durability of the knife in return.

I was already impressed with the blade so that was an easy decision.  Had they not responded I would have used the knife for general work on the boat until I lost it overboard back to the sea and forgot about the company that made it.  Instead I will continue using the knife for its intended purpose and have since explored the rest of the products they offer.  I haven’t bought one of their products yet, but it is just a matter of time.  I already have my eye on one of their gear bags.

Offering to send a sheath was a small, easy, insignificant gesture I had not expected.  I was willing to pay for it.  What stuck in my mind was the prompt and personal reply that exceeded my expectations.  With that one small gesture they have a new company advocate and a lifelong customer.

If anyone is interested, the company name is Armor Products: www.armorbags.com

Last week my family and I had a great experience while dining out.  For days afterward, we continually spoke about what great service we had received with a very personal touch.  I started thinking of how this relates to LexJet and how we provide a personal touch.

When we arrived at the restaurant, they asked for our name.  We mentioned we didn’t have a reservation, but they still asked for our name.  From that moment on, we were addressed as Mr. and Mrs. Lane.  Our waiter arrived at the table and said, “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Lane….”  We were visited by two managers who also addressed us in the same manner when they inquired if we had everything we needed.  This personalization along with great service and great food made for a memorable evening.  That is what successful service is all about— having an experience that is so memorable and remarkable that you want to go back to have that same type of experience again.  And when you go somewhere else and don’t receive the same level of service, it sticks out.

I believe from day one LexJet has tried to create a memorable experience for our customers as well as our employees.  Our goal has always been to educate and inform first, not “sell.”  If we truly listen to our customers to learn more about their needs, then educate on the available options, the customer is happy, the industry is more informed and we all have more opportunity. 

We are also personal when someone calls.  We are one of the only companies that still has real people answering the phone.  There is no phone tree, and the person answering the phone will be able to help you.  Also we maintain a database so we never have to ask you the same question twice.  Just think how many salespeople are calling and asking the same questions over and over.  With the information we gather and keep, we can focus our calls and marketing on what is important to the individual not the masses.  Some of our employees send out personal handwritten thank-you cards, holiday cards, and special items for different occasions. 

Our goal as a company is to offer the best customer experience in the industry and we are committed to continue to work hard and make your experience a memorable one so that you will come back again. We also believe you will notice when you don’t receive the same level of service somewhere else.

Every day at LexJet, we discuss how we can enhance our Customer’s LexJet Experience–to make it the best buying experience in our industry.  In fact, that is our #1 priority.  We figure that if we do this right, it’s good for our Customers and LexJet and bad for our competitors.  There is no magic elixir or quick fix to enhancing our Customers’ experience.   It’s not about programs, price, or product.  Those are simply the price of poker.

Enhancing our Customers’ experience is simply the art of creating a positive and lasting memory in our Customers’ minds about us and our company, a memory that our competition is less likely or incapable of providing.  Here are a couple of  examples:

Taste of Tollerton: One way to enhance our Customers’ experience is to help you when there is nothing in it for LexJet.  In other words, we will give you what you want and need versus what we want you to have.  For instance, we have a local insurance broker, Jim Tollerton, in Sarasota who has been trying to get our business.  He recognized that his solutions were far more expensive than our current provider so he suggested questions to ask our current provider that resulted in even better rates than what they were already giving us–saving us roughly $40K annually.  Someday, I assure you that we will find a way to reward him for this experience.  My lasting memory is that if Jim did this for us, a non-customer, what could he do for us as a customer?

At LexJet, if we don’t have what our Customers want and need, our representatives understand that helping you is more important than selling you something that doesn’t provide you the solution you need.  Many times, we have actually referred our Customers to other solutions when we weren’t able to help. (Actually, that was our way of helping–just like Jim Tollerton.)

Mazagatti’s Mantra: When I was in high school, I worked at a small independent deli (before the supermarket chains got into it) owned by a guy named Peter Mazagatti.  Pete taught me more about Customer experience than anyone since.  If the store opened at 10 a.m. and you were there getting ready to open at 8 a.m. and a customer came to the door, you stopped what you were doing, unlocked the door, and serviced the customer.  If you closed at 10 p.m., were cleaning up and a customer came to the door wanted rare roast beef (death to a slicer), you sliced it and cleaned up again.  His philosophy was simple: There are only so many customers and you want them to come back over and over and over!  Sometimes, you only get one shot and you’d better take advantage of it.  Pete’s prices were far from the lowest compared to the supermarket giants but his Customers’ lasting memory was the service he provided.

We practice Pete’s Customer First philosophy at LexJet.  Our doors are always open!  You will always get a real person when you call LexJet during our 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. business hours…no phone trees…ever!  And, our e-commerce website is available 24/7 for a convenient shopping experience.

We are interested in hearing from you about your personal buying experiences. That’s one of the ways you can help us enhance your LexJet buying experience.