Thursday, May 1, 2008

Promise made, dissatisfaction fades...

FedEx- we live to deliver!

We live in a world of business where often the pursuit of profits is the sole focus and centrality of a company's existence and activity. With this myopic and short term view, many times moral values are conveniently cast aside, justified in the name of the almighty $. Honesty, integrity, trust and even promises made are merely cards on hand that are optional, used only if they serve to increase ROI.

I received a Fed Ex parcel recently from Bike Friday. My tikit had a few nagging problems (mentioned in earlier post) which I brought to the attention of BF's technician Hugh Larkin before my Sumatran trip. He emailed to say he would send the replacement parts and that the order is set to ship by Friday, 4/18 and it DID. The cost of the parts and postage, NO CHARGE as the bike was under warranty.

The bottom line of Bike Friday's books may be down about US$50 but this is a smart investment they made - for they have won mine, and many other customers loyalty and support for years to come. On the other hand, I have experienced bike dealers that fail to keep their promise to customer satisfaction, thereby foolishly killing many "gooses" that would lay them many golden eggs. But that is another story altogether.

A simple promise made, feelings of dissatisfaction fade. Magic. Kudos to Bike Friday again! No wonder they are so profitable and successful.

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