When Customer Experience Trumps Low Prices

In Minneapolis, the dry-cleaning business is highly competitive. Price is usually the weapon of choice dry-cleaners wield to attract customers.

But even in a commoditized market like this, price is not everything. Customer experience can still drive loyalty.

This spring, one of the large dry-cleaning chains in town cleaned my wife's favorite winter coat. In addition to cleaning it, they broke the zipper. So she took it back and asked them to fix it. They said they would. She asked them to call her when it was ready. They said they would.

Months went by yet they never called her. Finally, she called them and reached someone who discovered where her jacket was. Then they proudly presented it to her with a $17.00 invoice (to fix the zipper they broke). 

That's not exactly the experience she was looking for.

Another large dry-cleaning chain in the Twin Cities does things differently.  Pilgrim Cleaners has low prices. They have friendly service. They work quickly and efficiently. They offer an experience most of us would expect from our dry-cleaners. Nothing surprising here.

But if you're a new customer, you get a little more.

About a week after I had picked up my clothing from Pilgrim Cleaners, I received a letter from the store manager. She thanked me for trying their store.  And she let me know my satisfaction was important to them. She didn't try to sell me anything. She didn't ask me to complete a lengthy survey. She just said "thank you." She did it in a very old fashioned yet memorable way.

Two companies. Same business. Two very different experiences.

Where do you think my wife and I will get our dry-cleaning done in the future? Our choice is easy. And it's not because of coupons or specials.

Just because an industry is dominated by low-price marketing doesn't mean you have to follow the herd.

Giving customers a better experience will make your business stand out from the coupon-printing and discount-offering crowd. There's always room for amazing customer service as a way to attract and keep more customers.