By Rick Banas of BMA assisted living management
A number of years ago, before Macy’s acquired Marshall Field’s, I bought my wife a dressy winter coat for Christmas. Unfortunately, I missed the mark on the style of the coat so I went back with her to Fields. She found a style that was perfect.
We went to the checkout counter in the coat department to make the exchange and pay the higher price for the coat that fit her so well. The clerk, and later her manager, pointed over to the Return Department and informed us that we would have go there to return the coat and then come back to the Coat Department to purchase the new coat. It was our only option, they said.
The line for returns was long. I grew up with the way Marshall Fields handled returns when the department store was in its prime. Return anything, anytime, no questions asked. Customers did not even have to purchase the item from Fields.
My response was that I did have another option. I could return the coat and not purchase the new one. Fields would be out of the money I spent on the original coat plus the higher amount I would be spending on the new coat.
Nothing else we can do, they reiterated. After talking with my wife about the situation, I informed the clerk and her manager that we would not be purchasing the new coat. They could hang it back up on the rack. We were going to return the coat and leave. As we headed toward the Return Department, the manager stopped us and said that on second thought, she could handle the return and purchase right then and there.
All that aggravation for nothing.
I recalled the incident last night as I began reading a book on “The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence” that I had purchased over the weekend at a used book fair.
In the introduction, the authors tell a story about a female customer who called the Nordstrom store in Salem, Oregon, because a hubcap had fallen off her car as she was driving past the mall. A Nordstrom employee went out, checked the road, found the hubcap, washed it, and called the customer to let her know she could come in and pick it up.
The authors cite a comment from Pete Nordstrom about how this level of customer service helps create the perception that Nordstrom is not just a place to buy things. It is a “place where they can find solutions.”
Is it a coincidence that Marshall Fields, once one of Chicago’s landmarks, is now found in historical photographs and Nordstrom is going strong?
Here at BMA Management, residents of the senior living, assisted living and memory care communities we manage and their families rank as our #1 priority. It is something we emphasize during the hiring, orientation and training process and in our day-to-day operations.
Our focus is on providing residents with the love, compassion & dignity they deserve in addition to the services and assistance they need.
Our 2015 ALFA Hero Award Finalist serves as a great example. In describing David Noles, a Dietary Aide at Heritage Woods of McLeansboro, Administrator Kendra Millenbine says “we have seen many residents come and go since we opened our doors, and David has always shown each one of them how special they are.”
Another wonderful example is our 2014 Gold Shining Star award recipient Bridget Rumler from John Evans Supportive Living in Pekin, Illinois. “We get many calls each week, and unfortunately, there are times when we cannot meet the needs of the caller,” says Melanie Daniels, the community’s Administrator. “Bridget still takes the time with each person to understand the situation and be a resource for them. They do not finish a call without a sense of hope.”
Melanie adds that Bridget “often calls other facilities and puts them in touch with families. Many times she has given her personal phone number and tells them “call me and let me know how things work out.”
The discretionary effort from these employees shows us that how we treat our customers is often much more important than what we do for them.
As a young boy, my mother and father used to go to the same pizza restaurant. The food was good, but not much different than many of the other choices located nearby. We went there because they treated us like family. Staff members would even hold my baby brothers if they got fussy, so my parents could eat.
All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
