Yoko shows off my new cards

I do most of my shopping online. In fact, other than groceries, around 95% of all my purchases are made via the internet. Either via well-known auction websites or small, personal websites.

When ordering from the net, you can be taking a bit of a risk. But only the same risk you take any time you make any purchase.

When you want a watch you can go to a reputable store front, or buy it from the back of the van in the alley – you know your risks are higher with the guy with the van. The internet is no different.

What I’m actually trying to say now though, is how amazing customer service can keep me coming back to the same shop over and over.

Take Moo for example. They have never ever gotten my order correct on the first go. Never in all the years I have used them. I can hear you all thinking! Why the hell do you keep using a company that can’t even get your order right?!

The answer is quite simple – not only do they acknowledge my disappointment, they take the time not only to fix it – the take the time to explain to me how and why the error occurred. That’s way above and beyond.

Especially when the error was my own fault. See, I design for the web. Not print. I haven’t produced colour print work in more than 8 years. That’s a long time to be out of the loop. So when my cards turned up with all the blues looking very green indeed I contacted Moo.

They responded within 12 hours (they are in the UK) and explained the colour process for the particular Pantone shade I uploaded, and how printing on coated and uncoated card can make colours appear differently to how they look on the computer. They even suggested what I could do to fix the problem – slightly alter my shade to a more blue hue.

And they’d not only reprint my entire order for free – they’d upgrade me to a new product just launched – double sided full designs.

The cards arrived today and I couldn’t be happier.

New cards from Moo.com

Another kind of customer service is that which happens when you are not even a customer. I’m searching online for a particular kind of top to wear over an evening dress, in case I get a bit semiconscious about my oppai at a fancy wedding I’m heading to this month.

The store I find on eBay has something that looks perfect – but the listing is for a size that wouldn’t go over my head, let alone my chest area. I emailed the store (Tres Elegance) and asked if they had larger sizes. I wasn’t really expecting much. I had a response in less than a day, explaining they had none in stock. Such a shame really.

The very next day however, I received another email from Sue, the owner of Tres Elegance, saying if she received new stock, would I like to be informed? Not only would I, but her gentle, non-pushy approach has ensured she is now on my Favourite Sellers list without even having made a purchase from her!

If you treat customers and potential customers as the most important people in your business then they will treat you the same. And like me, pass on the good word to the world.