"Driving business is what customer service is all about, and in this instance, the phrase takes on new meaning. It was time to head out to work on a Monday morning, and Sharon had her arms full of the paperwork she'd taken home over the weekend. Manila folders, her briefcase and a small notebook were all quickly dropped into the passenger seat of her car. She opened the driver's side door and slid into the seat. Even with traffic, she expected to make it to the office in plenty of time to get organized. She put the key into the ignition and turned it, but nothing happened. She pumped the gas pedal and tried again—not even a click to indicate an attempt to start. The options flooded her brain: call AAA, a taxi, a neighbor. Then she glanced across the driveway to her son's Jeep, which sat loaded to the roof with his belongings, ready to head off for a week of camping. She headed back into her kitchen and grabbed him by the arm from the stool where he'd been downing a bowl of cereal. They rummaged through the shelves in the garage and found the jumper cables that lay near the flares and de-icer that comprised their emergency supplies.
It really didn't take long. They'd positioned the Jeep to the side of Sharon's car, opened the hoods and connected the cables. Within a matter of minutes, her car was running, and, among her list of to-dos for the day, she silently planned the purchase of a new battery. The trouble came when they disconnected the cables and lowered the hoods. Sharon's car was running and ready to go, but the hood of her son's car wouldn't latch shut. They lifted it a number of times and tried every manner of persuasion they could come up with to get it to close securely. The hood jiggled in its setting and would not hold tight. The look of dismay that crossed her son's face was palpable. Visions of the hood popping up while driving over bumpy roads were putting a major damper on his plans for the camping trip. With a quick glance at her watch, the decision was made: she would follow her son to Hatfield Jeep in Winchester and see if they can repair or replace it. Her meetings could be rescheduled more easily than a camping trip.
The drive was a tense one. A piece of cord tentatively held the hood of the Jeep down and the normally ten-minute drive took much longer. They slid into the spaces outside the office and a gentleman from the office approached them. He nodded his head as their story unfolded. The hood, once untied, opened easily, and the problem with the latch was immediately apparent. Could it be fixed? Did they need a new one? Was there one in stock? The anxious pair was pacing around the car when the man crossed behind them and disappeared around the corner. He returned minutes later with a handful of gray metal, set it down on the pavement and pulled a tool out of his back pocket. Peering up into the underside of the hood he detached the broken latch and replaced it with the piece he'd set on the ground. Tightened and secured, he lowered the hood, and the solid click that resulted brought immediate smiles to the two relieved faces. He opened the hood again and went inside, returning with a bottle of washer fluid. The level was low, and if the young man hit a wet road, he'd need to be able to clean off his windshield. The mother's glance to her son registered the "I thought you said you'd checked that" look, and he quickly deflected the stab by asking the man how much he owed him. "Nothing," the man replied. It was a piece from another car that had had its hood replaced and was of no use — up until this time. And the fluid was insignificant. More smiles and handshakes were exchanged, and camping trips and meeting were all made.
The plans for buying a new battery progressed to those of buying a new car. The mileage was getting up there, other things were bound to begin going wrong, and the perfect service department had just presented itself. Within weeks, Hatfield's in Winchester had driven another sale.
This incident happened a few years ago and still remains a good memory to the car buyer. She's told the story to a number of people aside from me — and I'd like to hear your story. Call, e-mail or drop me a written line and perhaps we can jumpstart someone else's business.
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