PPB December 2019

M ost people would agree that technology has streamlined our lives. Take ordering promotional products, for example. By accessing a well-designed and efficient ecommerce site, one can select an item, upload the logo, choose the decorating method and ink colors, specify delivery, pay, and review and approve a proof all online without any human interaction and largely without a shred of customer service. But how comfortable is that experience? And what happens when there’s a problem? If you’ve ever bought from a site (or from any business, for that matter) sans someone who can answer questions and resolve problems, the importance of customer service becomes crystal clear. When it comes down to it, personal service is what humans crave and the pendulum about service is swinging away from self-service and back to high-quality attention tailored to customers’ needs. And customers are noticing. Companies achieving the highest scores in the 2018 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI), a national measure of customer satisfaction based on customer evaluations, didn’t make the list on luck but by following a precise philosophy. These top 10 companies—Chick-fil-A, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Amazon, Lexus, Costco, HEB Grocery, Toyota, Publix and Wegmans Food Markets—need no explanation on why they made the list. Service is their mantra. Likewise, exceptional customer service is not lost on promo professionals—it’s lauded. Since 2012 PPB has conducted an annual search to identify, select and recognize the best customer service pros in the industry in its annual list of PPB Service Superheroes. From 74 individuals nominated this year, the accolades and service reputations of these 15 individuals exemplify best-in-class service. Whatever It Takes Inside the busy lives of 15 service-obsessed pros who battle through obstacles and routinely save the day. by Tina Berres Filipski Service Superheroes | FEATURE | DECEMBER 2019 | 61