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Customer Service
Below is Andrea's positive customer service experience referred to in the Publisher's Desk in the September/October 2008 issue of Building Indiana News. Read her account below and then fill out the form to send us your own positive customer service experiences. We'll post them here to help celebrate positive customer service in our community.
Vehicle repairs are a fact of life. You know it. And I know it. Such basic knowledge doesn’t ease the frustration and hassle of having your car or truck out of service for a few days accompanied by a hefty price tag for the necessary repairs.
In early September, I figured I would be traveling that same tiresome route again. It was a Friday afternoon and while driving back home from an appointment I noticed something wrong with my rear tire on my 2008 Cadillac CTS. A three-inch bolt had lodged itself in the tire of my new car. DRAT! OK, so maybe I uttered something more provocative.
Thinking the bolt could simply be removed and the hole sealed, my husband Dewey drove the Cadillac Saturday morning to the dealership I purchased it from – Schepel Cadillac in Merrillville. Unfortunately on the way there, the bolt popped out and the tire deflated. Because the 2008 Cadillac doesn’t come equipped with a spare, Dewey took it to nearby Levin Tire in Crown Point to have the tire replaced. However, Levin Tire didn’t have the tire in stock that I needed. In fact, we were told that there were only two such tires available in the entire Midwest. This meant I would be without a source of transportation for a week. More provocative remarks.
Though I clearly knew it wasn’t its fault, I emailed Schepel Cadillac Saturday afternoon to make it aware of what happened. To my astonishment, Schepel General Manager Tom Van Prooyen called me Monday morning and said he would remedy the entire situation. Being in the sales and customer service business for my entire professional career, I’ve heard that line before. And many times such words have fallen flat. But this time it was different.
Instead of having to wait until later that week to get a new tire from somewhere in the Midwest, Schepel Cadillac on Monday removed the rim and tire from one of their new Cadillacs on its Merrillville showroom floor and brought it over to Levin Tire to put on my car. The very next day I left Levin Tire with a brand new tire and rim on my vehicle.
Thrilled by the fact Schepel Cadillac went out of its way to resolve my problem, the outstanding service to one of its customers only continued. Rather than deal with the nuisance of paperwork related to my tire warranty, Schepel’s Tom Van Prooyen and Sales Manager Jim Thrall handled that end of the situation as well. My tire warranty covers only the tire and not the rim, but they managed to cover the full cost of the tire and rim. Schepel Cadillac made sure I wasn’t out a couple hundred dollars, as well as ensuring I wasn’t without my vehicle for what could have been several days.
Rarely have I experienced such exceptional service, but when I do, I make sure to express my praise for a job well done. Going above and beyond is exactly what Schepel Cadillac did for me.
The 2008 Cadillac CTS was the first vehicle I ever purchased from Schepel. Based on the tremendous attention and thoughtfulness it demonstrated to me earlier this September, it certainly won’t be the last.
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