Many companies sell buses that offer everything from theater style entertainment systems, thru central vacuum cleaners… to the ability to shop online while rolling down the road. But finding a company that offers quality service can be a challenge.

Many companies make you jump through electronic hoops to talk to a real person. They’re only interested in volume, and anything out of the ordinary gums up the system.

If you’re like me, you’ve found some businesses that treat you well, and provide quality service. You’re willing to pay more for the comfort and confidence they offer. Business is part formula, part art. If anyone (with money) can buy flashy coaches, and exercise good business practices, then why do some operators succeed, and others fail?

A smart guy could give you lots of reasons… I can offer only one. Service.

Quality service is both difficult to define, and real. It’s about relationships, and understanding what a customer needs. For the most part, in our business, it doesn’t cost much more to do it right. We have a small, finite, group of potential customers, so we are punished quickly when we let our service slip.

Here are 4 tips to help ensure that your company offers exceptional service that will help you stand out from the competition.  These ideas (borrowed from friends over the years) will hopefully help you as well.  You can’t control the uncontrollable (profound, huh?) but there are lots of things you CAN make happen.

  1. RETURN phone calls. Every employee should understand that customers hate not knowing. It should be policy that everyone who works for you returns every call within 24 hours… even to let customers know they haven’t yet got an answer. Clients can correctly assume that if you’re not calling them back when you’re trying to sell them, you surely won’t respond to problems.
  2. Look into the future. If you have a complaint, you know you’re going to have to address, do it now. If it’s going to cost you $1000, satisfying your customer right away is an investment. Quibbling is going to ruin your chances for future business, and you’re still going to pay the $1000.
  3. Empower your employees to solve problems. Let drivers make decisions on the road, and have office employees handle questions and problems. Train them, and back up their decisions. When they mess up, point it out so they don’t make the same mistake again. That way you have happy customers, and a constant stream of valuable learned experiences to continue to improve upon.
  4. Go the extra mile to add value in unexpected ways. Hans Schoeffler, a Senior Executive for a major bus builder, once had a customer in desperate need of a part. Hans loaded that part into the trunk of his car and schlepped across 3 countries to help. It was Europe… they’re small countries. Hans has since passed on, but you can bet there are a ton of folks who remember him fondly. (I sure do.) Someone in your company has time to check Lost and Found for a passenger’s glasses, or call parents and tell them a bus is late. Treat people well even regardless of how busy you are. It will earn you a reputation that will be priceless down the road.

Make service a key part of your corporate culture, and turn your folks loose to provide it. Name a single company you respect that is weak on service. A great man once said “He among you who would be great… should be the servant of you all”. My snatching ideas may have gone too far this time, that’s Mark 10:43, and I may be stealing from the wrong Guy. I’m toast.