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Image courtesy of David Villarreal Fernández

Image courtesy of David Villarreal Fernández

As a business grows and its number of transactions and products increases, the likelihood of a crisis also increases. It’s simply math. We’ve talked about the right ways to acknowledge and address these events in order to minimize their damage before, but today let’s also explore how your general service environment can positively overshadow snafus with your products.

When we think about Lexus, we likely have positive thought associations. They’re a luxury car maker with high quality cars, good resale value, and a great driver/passenger experience. We probably also think about their high customer satisfaction ratings. In fact, Lexus has clinched the Top Overall Satisfaction Rating from J.D. Power over 12 times! What likely does not come to mind are all of the recalls Lexus has experienced during many of those same years. In fact, Lexus presently has 11 of its 24 models under active recall status right now.

How does Lexus manage to maintain such high customer satisfaction and brand loyalty given its climate of recalls? The short answer is that they provide an exceptional customer experience all of the time. Lexus takes pride in providing its customers with a complete experience:

  • Thoughtfully designed products
  • Staff that is well-educated on those products via proper training
  • A corporate culture of unwavering customer focus
  • Multiple avenues for providing customer education via staff specialists in certain subject areas
  • A luxurious environment for both sales and service
  • Strategic partnerships for their customers to match their interests
  • An unwavering backing of their products
  • Specially tailored promotions for existing customers

By overwhelming their customers with one positive interaction after another, Lexus builds relationships with its customers that can weather storms. Instead of customers reacting to bad news about their expensive cars with anger and frustration at Lexus, it seems that customers are instead viewing them as unfortunate circumstances both themselves and Lexus are experiencing. Lexus and its customers are in it together because that is the message that Lexus gives its customers from their very first interaction with the brand: we are a team and we want what is best for you.

Even though we are not all selling luxury vehicles or perhaps don’t have any physical storefront at all, we can all implement the Lexus service strategy for the benefit and strengthening of our brands and customer relationships. Whether it’s through an elegantly designed virtual storefront, reaching out to new customers to ensure they don’t need assistance enjoying their new purchases, or providing service with a smile when all is not going well, our customers will appreciate our efforts and feel more positively about our companies even if disaster strikes.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]