We talk about UI. We talk about retention and user acquisition. We talk about mobile and location. But we don’t really talk about customer support. At least not enough. When did you hear about a list of startups ranked by awesome customer service? Here are my top six customer experiences:
Beats by Dre: Took care of some broken headphones before I’d even reported them and then even mailed me to apologise for the breakage happening in the first place! Brilliant example of social media-driven customer support.
Hasbean: We’re fairly heavy consumers of Hasbean coffee. A recent order problem was fixed incredibly quickly and at no charge to us. The CEO checked in directly to make sure our coffee beans arrived.
Maxroam: Have literally lost track the number of times which the Maxroam team have taken care of me.
Amazon (specifically Kindle): One of the very best approaches to customer support in the world. A while ago, I broke my Kindle and when reported, they immediately sent a new one without even waiting for the broken one to arrive back first. Trusting the customer is risky but the reward is unshakeable loyalty.
Virgin America: A while back I left a set of headphone one of their planes. The Virgin America air hostess found them, rang me and then Fedexed them out the next day. No charge to me.
Silicon Valley Bank: A bank? Really? Absolutely. SVB have absolutely blown me away with service and support in the last two months. Their help in setting up the Fight My Monster San Francisco office (via their London branch) has been utterly invaluable.