A natural disaster causes stress and damage, but it can also bring out the best in people. When our home state of Florida was hit by Hurricane Irma, we experienced the best in customer service – from those who were concerned about our well-being and those who were affected.
Here are a few stellar stories from our employees.
See Jane Work – Personal Touch
I ordered items from office organization e-retailer See Jane Work two days after Hurricane Irma, not recalling that they are based in the affected city of Jacksonville, Florida. The following day, I received a personal email from the Associate Brand Manager thanking me for my order and letting me know that they are working “fast and hard” to fulfill my order, despite suffering some damage. She said, “We hope to get your order out within the next 3 business days,” and thanked me for my understanding and loyalty. We had a nice exchange, and I was glad to hear that everyone there was alive and well.
It was wonderful to be able to correspond with a real person and not just get an automated message from a no-reply or generic customer service email address. I definitely will order from them again. – Kendra, Manager, Content and Social Media
Airbnb – Giving Me a Home Away from Home
In the week leading up to Irma, I was two time zones away on vacation in Colorado. It wasn’t just my first time in the state, it was also my first time staying at an Airbnb. Because of Irma, I chose to move my flight up a day to avoid any weather-related delays. My hosts went above and beyond to help me feel at-ease during the week, tracking the forecast as closely as I did and checking in with me the day of my departure to make sure that I made it home safely.
They even went so far as to offer a free week of lodging if I were to be stranded in Colorado and unable to return home… one of thousands of Airbnb hosts to make such an offer. I can’t put into words the peace of mind it gave me knowing I had a place to stay if things went downhill.
Thanks to the generosity and compassion of my Airbnb hosts, and the countless other hosts who opened their doors to hurricane evacuees, Airbnb has a customer for life. – Matt, Social Media Strategist
eMarketer – Grace Notes
We recently subscribed to ace market research/intelligence firm eMarketer and have been impressed by the breadth and quality of the data provided. After Hurricane Irma, we received the following note from the SVP of account management, “On behalf of the eMarketer family, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to those affected by Hurricane Irma. You are in our thoughts during this difficult time. Stay safe…”
This personalized message was spot on as we all returned to work after a tumultuous few days. I replied to the sender – just a couple of words dashed off on my phone about the thoughtfulness of the message. I, too, had a pleasant and human exchange with the sender of the original message.
Not only do I appreciate the information eMarketer provides, but I now appreciate the culture and the people of the organization.
We are often viewed through the lens not of how we act or react in times of peace and tranquility, but of how we act and react under pressure. eMarketer chose to reach out with grace and civility at a difficult time. Brava! – Juliette, VP, Digital Strategy
We love hearing stories like these that remind us that the best customer service is personal and not always focused on the sale, but on the human on the other end of the communication.
