Customer Service and Caring - Passing it Forward…

August 3, 2011 by Frank Peditto

While most of us view relocation and moving services as transactional services, we often come across stories that demonstrate that the relationship developed between the transferee and either the relocation company or the direct service provider runs much deeper and this is one of those such stories.

Recently, we received an initiation from one of our third party relocation customers to transport a vehicle for a very senior level executive who works for one of their largest clients. We followed our standard procedures and began working with the transferee and his spouse to coordinate the specifics for their vehicle shipment. While a few of the elements of the relocation frustrated the couple, we remained in constant communication with them regarding the process and dates for their vehicle. After the vehicle was picked up, the driver remained in close contact with the transferee throughout the transit process and then phoned them on delivery day to confirm the delivery location. A few minutes after that conversation, the transferee received another call from the driver advising that he was having a heart attack and requesting that they please call 911. The transferee and his wife, already en route to meet the driver called 911 and then also located a policeman, who followed them to the driver, where they together met the paramedics.

All happening in a matter of minutes, the driver was immediately taken to the local hospital and the transferee and his wife followed, spending the entire afternoon waiting for updates on his condition. Some four hours later the driver was released from the hospital, only to be greeted by the transferee and his wife, who drove him back to his truck and helped him offload their vehicle. Concerned, the couple urged the driver to get some rest, but he insisted on continuing on and making his other vehicle deliveries.

In today’s society, stories such as this seem especially poignant and touching, as they are often the exception and not the rule. In the end, the driver was fine, albeit exhausted and overwhelmed from this experience, the transferee and his wife received their vehicle without issue, and a new friendship was born. For our team, this story demonstrates not only the service provided by our partners, but also reinforces that, when it comes down to it, we’re all people, regardless of who is providing the service and who is receiving it, and we all care about one another’s well being.