Everyday PR

What do Chick-fil-A, Publix Supermarkets and Cracker Barrel have in common? Simple:   a good product, appropriate price points and excellent customer service.  At the end of the recession day and all other things being equal, these and other companies like them have a much greater chance of survival because of their attention to these common qualities.

Keys to survival: Right prices, good products, excellent customer service

 Chick-fil-A enjoyed unprecedented sales in 2008, its 41st consecutive year of system-wide sales gains.  Publix, a Southeastern chain founded in 1930, opened more stores last year – 79 – than ever before.  And for the 18th consecutive year, an independent poll by Restaurants & Institutions named Cracker Barrel “Best Family Dining Restaurant”.

Author Fred Reichheld of “The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth” says an unhappy customer can hurt the company’s reputation by telling 6-10 people about the experience.  Today, that number can quickly reach hundreds of thousands, thanks to the Internet.  Per Reichheld, just a 5% increase in customer retention will yield a 25-100% improvement in profits.

I recently called our insurance company to check on two claims.  Once I reached a person named Patti, she said there was no record of the claims and to re-send via fax.  I tried unsuccessfully to send.  Two days later at 8:02 a.m., the phone rang.  It was Patti.  She wanted to know if anything was wrong as she hadn’t received the fax.  She also said further research on the claims showed that I should receive reimbursement by the end of the week.  I did.  If Patti and her co-workers provide that kind of customer service every day, the company will have a much better chance of survival and customer loyalty.