A tale about recharging the relationship--and the brand.

• Author: Hall, Robert
• Position: Marketing Solutions - Analysis of customer service

When relationship strength is high, the customer is 49 percent more likely to remain a customer than when it is low. and 55 percent more likely to shop at the retailer within the next year ... is 1.82 times as likely to recommend the retailer to friends and family."

--Carlson Relationship Builder 2007: Getting It Right in Retail, Don Peppers &Martha Rogera, Ph.D. 1 to 1 Weekly, June 18, 2007

The battery in nay computer was holding a full charge for only about 12 minutes. As I lamented its decline, I remembered a recent article referring to the brand of computer I have as "the Buick of computers." I have purchased perhaps a dozen computers--for my kids, wife and me--over the past few years and the last several have been these "Buicks" and lately they have been neither cool nor great on service. Note to self: My next computer is going to be some brand other than this.

With this "brand" baggage in tow, I mentally prepared for the dreaded customer service call to determine nay computer battery rehabilitation options. Let's see, this will require navigating through copious menu options, being put on hold, trying to understand a strong foreign accent, and being told my warranty expired last month. I can hardly wait.

The dreaded call

My call began with the obligatory lengthy menu items. Check. Next, I was put on hold. Check. Then came the strong accent that I could barely understand. Check. After telling the agent--Emmanuel was his name--about my weak battery, there was a slight pause as he checked nay service tag number and told me the battery was no longer under warranty. Check. However, because I was under the service agreement with them, he would check on replacing it without charge. Huh? In a few seconds he was back on the line saying he would send me a new battery free of charge. In my mind we are way off script at this point and I am feeling pretty good.

His next question surprised me: Are you having any other problems with your computer? I was in the middle of mouthing the words, "No, everything is fine," when he asked, What about your keyboard--is it okay?"

"Well, yes," I said. "It is fine, except sometimes when I hit the letter 'k' it does not work."

He responded, "Fine, I will send you a new' keyboard. Do you know how to change the keyboard?---it is real simple."

"No, I have never changed out the keyboard."

"Robert, I can walk you through it--you will not have any problem. I am in all week except for Wednesday. E-mail me when you are...