Get to the Po!nt

CUSTOMER SERVICE…The LEXUS way!

In a post at the Mavericks at Work blog, Bill Taylor discusses how Lexus follows through on the lofty ideals spelled out in its covenant, which asserts (1) Lexus will win the race because Lexus will do it right from the start; (2) Lexus will have the finest dealer network in the industry; and (3) Lexus will treat each customer as we would a guest in our home.

It's all well and good to have high-minded goals in a mission statement; follow-through is something different. Taylor illustrates how Lexus' commitment could be a standard for customer service:

• Shortly after launching the inaugural LS 400 sedan nearly 20 years ago, Lexus discovered that about 3,000 cars had minor technical problems. The company responded by sending small teams of executives to visit each customer at home. They apologized in person and offered a gift while a Lexus technician resolved the mechanical glitches right there in the customer's driveway.



• Last year, the automaker became aware that 700 ES 350 models had been delivered with problematic transmissions. Instead of installing a new gearbox, Lexus gave owners a brand new ES 350 as a replacement. "Based on surveys, the affected customers were more loyal to Lexus than buyers who didn't have the problem in the first place," says Taylor.

The Po!nt: Writes Taylor, "[W]hen you do go the extra mile, you earn the appreciation and loyalty of customers who have come to expect so little from the companies with whom they do business."