Now for some good news – the unsung heroes of great customer service

theguardian.com:

Anna Kafkalias was delighted to spot a Le Creuset casserole worth £270 on sale in a charity shop for £20. There was a single snag – it had lost its lid. On impulse, she contacted Le Creuset to ask if lids could be bought separately. “The customer service agent said that they had some ex-display items and would be happy to send me one for free,” she says. “She even asked what colour I wanted. I received it within a week. I wasn’t even asked to pay postage.”

Kafkalias was so impressed she wrote to my column, Your Problems, to show a different perspective of customer care. Others have also contacted me to marvel at exceptional service, and I’ve been so cheered to hear of corporate kindness amid the howls of woe from mistreated customers that I have decided to share the good news.

Most of my working life is spent tackling companies that fail in their basic legal obligations to customers. This month, research by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) found that complaints have reached a record high, with more than 17% of customers reporting problems with goods or services.

Some companies have sought to save money by axing their helplines and extending response deadlines. But despite soaring costs, supply and staffing shortages, and a hair-raising economic outlook, others are going above and beyond minimum requirements.

Responsive customer services make financial, as well as moral, sense. According to business consultancy Bain & Co, revenues at the most empathetic companies tend to be from 4%-8% higher than their competitors. Even a cock-up can be turned into a virtue if addressed with a suitable flourish: 78% of customers say they are willing to forgive and forget.

The ICS survey found that three-quarters of respondents rate