Whatever business you are in, whether you are providing a service or a product, you should always look for ways to add value to what you provide your customers with. It really doesn’t take much, just a bit of thought.

We seem to spend so much time and money looking for new customers but very little on looking after our existing customers or offering a superb after sales service for those we have just taken on.

This came into my mind today as I had dealings with a mobile phone company. They called me on the off chance that I may be looking for a new phone contract. As it happens, I was. So we started the dialogue, arranged a deal and they promised me a new phone within the next 48 hours. It actually arrived the next day. My expectations had been exceeded. So far, so good.

From there on it went down hill badly. Firstly, I opened the outer packaging and saw that it had been sent in an old box. OK. Benefit of doubt. I opened the box to find that it had obviously been sent to someone else first as the packaging was all over the place. OK. Let’s have a look at the phone. It looked nice. A Nokia E71. My excitement of owning my new phone then completely disappeared when I looked through the phone and found somebody else’s details (bank account numbers, pin numbers, private messages, list of personal goals) and so it went on.

So, luckily I am an honest person and so I called the company the next day and told them. Anyone can make a mistake so I again gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Had that been my company and I had sent out someone else’s private details to a random customer I would have been horrified. But no. I would have to go to the Post Office, ask them for a packaging bag and post it back to them. Then on receipt they would send me out another phone and send me a cheque refunding my postage!!! For goodness sake! Just send me another phone with a bag to put the other one in and I will give it directly to the delivery man.

Needless to say, not only will I not be taking out my phone contract with them as I cannot trust their after sales service, but I will be recommending that my friends and colleagues give them a large body swerve as well.

Had they apologised for their mistake and replaced my phone immediately, I would have forgotten their massive ‘goof’ and carried on as planned.

So just adding that little bit of customer service post sale, or dealing with mistakes in a professional, client focused manner, is just so important. it just takes a bit of thought.