How we handle challenges is the truest test of our commitment to customer-service excellence

Harrisburg Flea shopper in 2018

We were in post-pop-up market mode the second Sunday in September, celebrating a successful weekend of participating in two Harrisburg Flea events (and a birthday).

We were at The Millworks in Harrisburg when I received an email from a customer whom we had met only hours earlier. One of the shirts we sold her was the wrong size, she explained.

“Would it be possible to exchange it for the correct size?” asked the Harrisburg newcomer.

First, I apologized for the mix-up. Second, I noted that we were still in the city, maybe a half-hour from finishing. I asked if we could make the exchange yet that evening.

We never want to make a mistake, of course. It’s an inconvenience for customers, most important, and for us. It can cost us time, money and a hit to our reputation.

For the long haul

It’s always a punch to the gut when something goes awry, whether, as in this case, we apparently handed over the wrong size or there’s a problem with a shirt itself, such as tiny hole, an unstitched hem or an errant thread that marred the screen print ink (each of these has happened to us). Sometimes, a customer simply has a change of heart about a purchase.

Whatever the reason, we want our customers to be fully satisfied with their purchases and for our shirts to be worn and enjoyed. That’s because we want our customers to be with us for the long haul. This Facebook post from 2018 perfectly illustrates that point:

I’m humbled to say that Kelley, true to her word, has been a repeat customer.

We do our best to make things right in the belief that how we handle issues that occur after a sale is the truest test of our commitment to customer-service excellence.

How we react to a mistake or a concern represents another opportunity to make a good impression on a customer, perhaps even reinforcing the positive vibe that was inherent in the purchase in the first place.

We are profoundly grateful to every customer who has placed his or her faith in Stay by purchasing from us in our first two years of operation.

We take no one for granted and never will.