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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Marketing & Sales
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Sweetwater: What Sweet Customer Service Sounds Like

Sweetwater deserves a spot on my bumper. When I apply a bumper sticker to my car I never use the space to promote a political position or ideology. Instead, I use the bumper as a means to promote and thus reward companies that provide amazing customer service.

Customer service for music instruments and pro audio
Thanks Sweetwater for the customer service that came with a 12-string pack, picks, iJam and new strings for my Henshaw Limited Edition Fender Telecaster.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a Sweetwater bumper sticker. Instead, I’ll share my experience with Sweetwater here at the LexJet Blog. While part of my reason for sharing is that great customer service should be rewarded by sharing it with as many people as possible, the other is to share some tips on what great customer service looks like, or in this case, what it sounds like.

I found Sweetwater whilst searching the Web for someone who carries the iJam and accepts PayPal. The iJam is a device that allows you to plug your guitar into your iPhone or iPad and play and record said guitar with GarageBand.

I ordered it expecting the typical online shopping experience, which is basically an email verifying the order, and that’s about it. What I got instead was a follow-up call from someone personally assigned to my account, Jason Koons, to see if I had any questions and to let me know he was available if I had any questions or needed any help with the iJam when I received it.

Jason wasn’t pushy; just helpful. The iJam shipped as promised, and was packaged with a catalog and some candy as a nice extra personal touch (I gave most of it to my kids; I don’t have a sweet tooth).

Jason keeps in touch via email ever so often to let me know about sales and new products at Sweetwater. Again, Jason doesn’t harass me and I appreciate the helpful check-up correspondence.

I’ve had problems here and there with products I bought online that didn’t show up on time (and one time not at all). In such cases I wasted a lot of time punching 0, 1, 3 and various other digits on my telephone keypad to finally talk to a human being, who is usually located overseas in a land that rhymes with Bindia. Not so at Sweetwater. I call Jason and usually get Jason, and if I don’t someone else is right there with my account information and ready to help.

My most recent order was a couple of sets of guitar strings and some picks. It wasn’t a big order by any means, so I didn’t expect the same service this time around. Wrong. Same service, despite the fact that my order was less than $20. They called to let me know that they didn’t have the exact same style of pick I ordered in stock and recommended a similar style. Fortunately, I’m not that picky (pun intended) and went with their suggestion.

Ultimately, Sweetwater has picked up a customer for life simply because they treat me like a person and not a number. I know they’re likely to get the order right the first time, and even if they don’t I’ll receive individual attention. Sweetwater doesn’t just say they value my business, they show it in tangible ways.

There are many facets to customer service – an easy to use and navigate website, logistics, the right products and other supporting systems – but if you lack that all-important personal touch the rest is all for naught.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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Enhancing Customer Service by Maximizing Computer System Uptime

LexJet was recently recognized by Copia International for a perfect record of continuously running the CopiaFacts system for 398 days straight and counting without any interruption in service.

Mainting reliable computer systems
Pete Petersen, LexJet CIO

LexJet’s CopiaFacts system sends incoming faxes directly to each employee’s email as a PDF. This eliminates the need for fax machines, cuts down on paper waste and allows quicker response times to incoming fax requests.

More importantly, it speaks to the strength of LexJet’s systems and their reliability, which are meticulously maintained by a team of IT specialists led by LexJet CIO Pete Petersen.

“Ensuring maximum system uptime is an important part of our overarching goal to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. Whichever method customers want to communicate with us for help or to order products, we’re going to support it and make sure it’s absolutely reliable,” says Petersen. “We maintain a high reliability level for our critical services – like email, fax and website – to ensure customers can conduct business without having any delay in their service.”

Petersen says the key to doing that is using trusted software and hardware providers and choosing the right solutions based on customer needs. “We don’t mix and match all of our systems based on the least expensive solution available. We find the best solution that makes things easiest for our customers.”

Petersen adds that even if a system is 99.9 percent reliable, over the course of 365 days that still means eight hours of downtime during the year. That’s why LexJet’s IT department strives for 100 percent reliability year in and year out. “When someone uses LexJet’s services, they’re going to work,” he says.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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LexJet Acquires On a Roll Color Imaging

LexJet acquires On a Roll Color ImagingOn a Roll Color Imaging customers now have access to LexJet’s extensive and varied digital imaging product line following LexJet’s acquisition of the Orange, Calif.-based company earlier this month.

“We were able to move over to LexJet’s Sunset Select Matte Canvas from On a Roll’s canvas and there were no problems with the switch; we’re very happy with LexJet,” says Lou Fiore of Speedway Custom Photo Lab in Daytona Beach, Fla. “We also get a high level of service and support from LexJet, plus product delivery we can count on. LexJet tells me when I’m going to get my products and I get them the day they were promised, and it’s usually the next day.”

All shipping, product and customer logistics have been transitioned to LexJet and built into its technology infrastructure to ensure no interruption in service to On a Roll Color Imaging customers, who, like all LexJet customers, can expect the following:

  • Personal support: LexJet customers always speak with a person who can help them between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Moreover, customers who call in will not be on hold for more than ten seconds or have to navigate through frustrating and seemingly infinite phone trees
  • Products plus: LexJet customers have access to thousands of products that address the entire inkjet-printing workflow and are designed to build their business, all with unlimited and free technical and product support from personally-assigned customer specialists
  • Nationwide shipping: LexJet customers receive products quickly from its nationwide delivery network at a flat rate of $9.99 for every order, every time, no matter how large the order

“Our number-one priority – whether it’s bringing On a Roll Color Imaging’s customers on board, working with a new customer or an existing customer – is to ensure the best possible experience for each customer,” says Pete Petersen, LexJet CIO. “An integral component of that is our continual investment in technology systems so that it’s as easy as possible for our customers to get what they need. With fewer hassles and unwanted surprises in the process, they can focus on developing their core business.”

For more information about LexJet products, customer service and support and its Nationwide Delivery Network, go to www.lexjet.com or call 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Technology & Products
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A Printer Service Network Worth Checking Into

Large format printer service, repair and serviceAbout two years ago, graphics industry veterans Bob Flipse and Glenn Robb started a new printer service network called GrafxNetwork. Now in its third year, the network of independent service technicians has grown to more than 25 service locations across the U.S.

GrafxNetwork services mainly entry-level to mid-range solvent printers – including Roland, Mutoh, Mimaki and HP Designjet solvent – as well as Mimaki and CET UV-curable flatbeds, depending on the location and the technician.

Flipse describes GrafxNetwork as the hub of the network for independent service contractors. As he explains, “As opposed to a single independent technician who doesn’t have the benefit of our infrastructure and is running around doing support with a phone in one ear and having to do paperwork nights and weekends, we have a full staff here to do that for him so that he can concentrate on the customer.”

GrafxNetwork maintains an online work order system with detailed equipment histories so the technician knows exactly what happened during the last service call, alleviating any potential confusion during subsequent visits, says Flipse.

Flipse adds that GrafxNetwork carries full General and Professional (Error and Omissions) liability insurance for the protection of both the customer and the service technician, as well as a service warranty.

“If there’s a problem with the service, we bite the bullet and take care of it,” says Flipse, “And, we maintain an extensive parts inventory to ensure the right parts on-site during the first visit.”

For more information about GrafxNetwork and its locations, call 888-335-5914 or go to www.grafxnetwork.com