I have long been interested in customer service. It is one of the three areas of focus of my business, The Fralix Group, and has been for all thirty-three years that I have been in business. The other two areas of focus of my business are Leadership/Management and Managing Differences. Today my mind is on Customer Service.

Reggie Jackson Honda in Raleigh, NC is one of the three businesses that I will feature in this article. I am a fairly new customer of this business, and I have been impressed each time I have had service from them. From the call or online booking of the appointment, to the actual service itself, I have been overly impressed at each interaction. My experience with Reggie Jackson Honda is very different from my previous service appointments with car dealerships. Since this is my first Honda, my previous experiences were not with Honda. I do not plan to give negative service information in this post, so I will leave the specifics of my precious experiences with car dealerships for the imagination. Suffice it to say, what I have found at Reggie Jackson Honda is the opposite of what I found at other establishments. So, what is the experience at Reggie Jackson Honda?

The bookings of the appointments have been easy, customer friendly, and responsive. The systems work, from the online portal being user friendly to the knowledge and assistance of the live person on the phone. Making appointments is easy, as it should be. If it wasn’t easy, I might not have become a loyal customer! The dealership is beautiful, and the customer waiting area has comfortable seating and tables that make working pleasant. Refreshments are provided. The time estimate given when the car was checked in for the work to be completed has been accurate, for the most part.

While I can’t really judge the quality of the work, my car seems to be in good condition when I leave the dealership, so I assume the quality is as good or better than I could receive anywhere else. The cost I also assume is comparable to others. The staff are professional, friendly, and seem competent. I am very pleased with the entire experience at Reggie Jackson Honda. An added bonus is that the customer is offered a complimentary car wash with every service.

The second business I want to discuss related to Excellent Customer Service is the Flying Biscuit in the Village in Raleigh, where Mike and I had breakfast after church last Sunday. This was the second time we have been to this restaurant, (compliments of a gift card!) and we had a great experience both times. Both times the restaurant was packed, and both times we sat at the bar to eat to reduce our waiting time.

The food was delicious, as one would want it to be for it to be included as an example of excellent service. The choices of menu items were extensive, offering options for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The dining experience begins with a complimentary biscuit served with apple butter. The portions are generous. The costs of the items are reasonable. All of that is great and we would probably return even without a gift card. But what sets this restaurant apart is really not the food, but the service.

Mike and I were both impressed with the attention of the servers. They were very interested in assuring that we had a good experience, and showed that in their attention to us. Management is obviously hiring a certain type of server, one who really wants to serve! While we never saw a manager, they were present in how the staff served us.

The third business that provides excellent customer service is New Word Cafe on Duraleigh Road in Raleigh. I have used this location numerous times for client meetings, and it has worked well. There is ample space between tables so confidentiality can be maintained. The cappuccino is delicious, as are the butter cookies that I allow myself to indulge in when I am there. The menu items for breakfast and lunch are extensive, and everything I have had has been delicious.

The service at New World Cafe sets it apart from other coffee shops, so I go out of my way to go there instead of to some other coffee shops that are closer in distance to me. An added feature at New World Cafe that is important to me is a porcelain, not paper, mug. Cappuccino tastes better from a porcelain mug, and the environment is better served.

Many businesses are struggling lately, and I want to spend my hard earned money with the businesses that provide a level of service that is important to me. I recommend that we all do.