When people are asked to list off industries from which they expect great customer service, car rental companies might not be on the shortlist. But the opportunities for excellent customer service abound and great customer service employees, like John Goodlett, know it.
This summer, Coty Vincent was the victim of a traffic accident at the hands of a hit-and-run driver. With her infant twin sons in tow, Ms. Vincent found herself at an Enterprise location to rent a replacement vehicle. That’s where she met John Goodlett.
Seeing Ms. Vincent struggle with two babies and no stroller while also having to go through the process of renting a car, Mr. Goodlett took matters into his own hands. Or rather, took a baby. He offered to hold one of the twins while they completed her paperwork and chatted about his own twin sister.
In the midst of a chaotic, upsetting day, John Goodlett stepped up to the plate of customer service and hit a home run. Through his kindness, he not only helped his customer, but also connected with her at a deeper level.
Coty Vincent was so thoroughly impressed by her experience with Mr. Goodlett that she felt compelled to post a picture of him holding her son along with a story extolling his kindness on her Facebook account. “One of the most compassionate and caring people I’ve ever met. We need more people like John who go that extra step. Be a John. #BeAJohn“, she wrote. Her post struck a nerve with people everywhere, quickly going viral and racking up 260,000 likes, over 9,000 comments, and was shared nearly 30,000 times.
But the story does not end here. Enterprise also became aware of the story and seized yet another opportunity to be outstanding. Not only did they reach out to Coty Vincent and provide her with a new double stroller, they also went out of their way to reward Mr. Goodlett for being caught wowing their customer (and the internet) with excellent customer service. Mr. Goodlett was personally given a gift card in appreciation of his efforts and provided with the opportunity to further share the love by making a sizeable donation to the Boys & Girls Club Mr. Goodlett spent time at as a child.
Not every customer interaction has the potential to go viral like #BeAJohn, but every interaction has the potential to dramatically brighten our customers’ days. By being friendly and helpful, we have the opportunity to make our companies stand out in the minds of our own customers, just like Mr. Goodlett did for Enterprise.