Damsels in Distress | The Zebra Blog

Damsels in Distress

Wrenches next to decorative element

A funny thing happened on my way to teach my EVOLVE class a couple of weeks ago and I can’t wait to share this story of exceptional client care with you.

My CEO Shauna Naf and I were on our way to teach EVOLVE when we noticed a strange sound coming from the right front wheel well. The noise continued to increase and become more ominous, and soon we knew that we would have to pull over and get help. But where do you go for help at seven in the morning with a car problem – especially, when you have to be at location an hour and a half away? We had no time for this breakdown and no idea where we were going to go to get this fixed. Not to mention we had 25 people waiting for us to begin our program and there was no doubt that we were in deep trouble.    

So, what would you do in this situation? Well, of course, we started looking online for an automotive repair shop in the area, but nothing would be open for hours and we needed help fast.

Then Shauna noticed a Jiffy Lube sign in front of us and suggested we could at least go there to see what the trouble was. At least then we would know what we were dealing with.

When we drove up we were approached by a very nice young man who asked us how he could help. Shauna explained our dilemma and he very graciously offered to take a look under the car. He asked us to park in the shop bay so he could climb under the car and see what was going on. These were words that were very welcomed by two damsels in distress!

He and his co-worker looked at the car and informed us that the mud flap had come loose and was getting in the way of the wheel. He fixed the problem for us quickly, but when we went to pay, they refused to take any payment from us.  This is NOT what we were expecting. We fully expected to get some kind of a bill and we would gladly have paid that bill! Our huge problem was solved for us in just an instant by these Jiffy Lube employees. That was stellar client care.

So why should you care about my misadventures on the way to class?

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this experience. Yes, lesson one would be to always check your mud flaps… But the most important lesson is that people will remember you and talk positively about you, when you can solve their problems and challenges … and not expect anything in return.

I can’t tell you how many people I have told about this experience with Jiffy Lube. I am actually excited about giving them my business in the future. There are two companies in my area that I can go to for an oil change, but Jiffy Lube is going to get my business. I admire their strong belief in doing the right thing for the customer, even when they aren’t getting paid.

We arrived on time that day, when we most certainly should have been late … very late! Jiffy Lube took care of us and they never asked for a dime in return. But what they got in return is two raving fans.

When you are helping your buyers and sellers ask yourself what problems or challenges they have that you can solve for them. You will be surprised how much this problem solving can go towards client loyalty.

Thank you, Jiffy Lube!

Tell your friends!

 

Jiffy Lube
General Manager: Nick Gibbons
1616 Freeway Dr
Mount Vernon, WA 98273-2432
Phone: 360-428-2825

 

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