The Dufry experience
Effective service recovery is vital to maintaining customer and employee satisfaction and loyalty, which contribute significantly to a company's revenues and profitability. Yet most customers are dissatisfied with the way companies resolve their complaints, and most companies do not take advantage of the learning opportunities afforded by service failures.
Excellent customer service is dependent on your sales associates. Likewise, a bad customer service experience depends on your associates delivering poor customer service in your retail store. However, even if you already had a bad customer service experience in your business, it’s important to get ahead of it and not allow it to tarnish your business…and that’s exactly how Dufry handled my complaint.
Recently, on my way back from Canada, I bought a bottle of Whisky from the Dufry Company’s duty free shop at Toronto airport and went my way to board my flight home via London. At Heathrow airport, customs confiscated it since it wasn’t carried in accordance with regulations – meaning it should have been put into a sealed transparent bag at the time of purchase. Yes, it wasn’t and I should have been watchful. Mind you though, I did mention to the counter clerk who handled the sale, that I was en-route to Colombo via London - particularly when he merely put a tiny net on the bottle and handed it to me. When I asked for a bag, he pushed the sale of a paper carry bag instead – for which I had to pay an additional dollar.
My explanation to the British customs office was of no avail: I had to hand over the bottle of liquor. They make the rules and we travelers have to play by them. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to take a picture of the scantily netted bottle of whisky before being relieved of it. Some people I’m told, convinced that those liquids don’t get destroyed, and that customs officers in some cities have quite the end-of-year party, or just help themselves, take a couple of large swigs, whilst others empty it before surrendering the bottle/s. Perhaps it’s true. Because, they don’t give you any written slip to confirm what was confiscated and hence, one never knows if the seized items are recorded or not, or what happens to them afterwards. However, before I digress further, let me get back to relating the rest of my story.
Upon reaching home, I sent an email to the company that operates the Dufry duty free shops, complaining of the disappointing outcome I faced. I also sent them pictures of the bottle of whisky I bought, the bag I had to pay for and the purchase receipt. The company responded with an apology for the whole incident whilst requesting me to provide the purchasers (my) name, email address and country of residence – which I did. I then was told to furnish relevant bank details to make the refund via an international wire bank transfer. After furnishing the required details I was then informed that my reimbursement had been submitted to my bank and that taxes involved in the wire transfer process has been paid for by the company. I was also advised that the money would be in my account within five working days. It took a tad longer, but more importantly, I received a full refund from Dufry.
Avolta is the owning company of Dufry, and their vision is to become the most innovative and successful travel Retail Company. Insofar as ‘Refunds and Returns’ go, they invite you to “Shop with confidence” with the assurance, “We want you to be 100% satisfied with purchases you make with us, but we know that you may change your mind or that sometimes things can go wrong.”
Things did go wrong in my case, but the company lived by its credo and has re-established my trust and loyalty.
Shafeek Wahab - Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Customer Service Trainer and Ex-Hotelier
|
|
|
|
