From the customer lounge

It's 8am on Thursday morning and I'm sitting in a very comfortable vehicle dealership customer lounge after having dropped off my company vehicle for a scheduled service. There complimentary filtered coffee, muffins and donuts, wifi connection, glossy magazines, TV, and very comfortable lounges and desk space for those who want to work while they wait, like me. (Salespeople prowling for potential new customers to sell to also of course.)

It's all very civilised and pleasant.

Rather than take a free loan vehicle I opted to wait out the three hour service and work here as it saves time and considering how comfortable it is in this customer lounge area why not?

My company vehicle is managed by a national fleet company so I don't pay for services, tyres, repairs or fuel (fuel card supplied) however this dealership treats me like a paying customer nonetheless which I think is exactly how it should be. I could, after all, have taken it to any number of dealerships that have the same manufacturers' brand. Customer service here is exemplary, faultless really, and while the vehicle industry, from a sales perspective, has attracted a dubious reputation I have to say that this one earns a tick of approval.

I have seen it before though, beautifully presented businesses, all the right services and amenities but without the right customer service from the staff and it never sits so well. Businesses like this one spend millions of dollars presenting themselves so well and marketing that aspect, and a few careless words from a staff member can destroy any good name that have built in an instant. It's crazy to think it still happens in a world in which we have so much choice to simply go elsewhere.

What have your experiences been with customer service and have you found a good presentation and environment somewhere only to have any positive feeling from it removed by staff that don't present in the same way or unprofessionally? Feel free to comment.