Customer service going the extra mile – literally

Meet Jun. He’s been been with The Shepherd Group for about a year after his nephew referred him to us. Now, one thing to know about Jun is that he has unique customer service needs because he doesn’t use email or a mobile phone.On the other hand, Jun and his wife Phyllis value face to face interaction. Knowing this, we visited them at their Oakville home when setting up their auto insurance policy.When we first set up Jun’s policy, we made a note in his file to follow up with him before his policy was due for renewal in June. To be proactive, we called them in May to get access to their world and see if there were any changes in their life that would necessitate coverage adjustments.As it turned out, Jun had fallen ill and Phyllis was keeping him company at the hospital. She was also handling their family’s affairs which was previously his responsibility.Communicating with Jun and Phyllis was a challenge. Her only free time to respond was in the early hours before the start of the work day. She requested us to mail her the insurance quote and application, which we did. To expedite the process, we contacted the nurse’s station at Jun’s hospital to get on a call with Phyllis.But the rubber hit the road when we visited Jun in the hospital to finalize their application. When we say “going the extra mile,” we mean it literally to the point where other companies may have long since given up.Phyllis and the hospital staff were positive and appreciative that we were supporting the family through their difficult time. After all, they’re going through a lot right now – not only is Jun ill, but their second child is also unwell.We did this because we do not make excuses to try to communicate in a “more convenient” way because our way is the customer’s way. We don’t believe that “going out of the way for customers” is an acceptable way to think. The customer’s way is the way.Even though insurance was not top of mind for Jun and Phyllis, we are watching out for our customers when life throws challenges at them. We helped them avoid renewing their policy on autopilot and potentially missing out on getting better value. Instead, we helped secure a discount by combining their home and auto policy.And the story doesn’t end there. Whatever challenges Jun and Phyllis face in the future, we’ll be by their side (literally) to aid, assist and advise no matter what.Tell us about your experience. When was the last time your received highly personalized service? Comment below or tweet us @TheShepherdGroup