Tale #1     Many years ago I was fortunate to be in Italy with my daughter.  We visited the "museum" cities  and every morning when I looked out my hotel window I was shocked to see a Bottega Veneta store on the corner.  I began to fantasize that overnight they had built the store just to tempt me.

Now Bottega Veneta is the world’s premier leather goods manufacturer and I wanted their black briefcase so badly I could taste it.  Trouble is it was expensive…very expensive.

I fought the urge to buy at all three corner stores in the first three cities but, finally,  in Rome, I succumbed.  I bought the brief case.

That was over 16 years ago and over the years I have loved that briefcase so much, I named it "Baby".  I carry it almost every day and it has become my good luck charm.  You can imagine my grief after a four years of wear and tear when I noticed that "Baby" had a frayed strap.  Knowing I woud be in San Francisco and they have a store there, I took it in. 

The manager, Dan, welcomed me and listened to my long story about "Baby".  "Barb, he said, (we were now on a first name basis), leave everything to me.  I will see that "Baby" is taken care of.  And he did.  4 weeks later "Baby" showed up beribboned in Bottega Veneta ribbon and pouch, in a Bottega Veneta Box  and with an enclosed note from Dan thanking me for allowing him to take care of "Baby" and there would be no charge!

A few years passed and "Baby" needed a facelift again.  Again I called Dan, the BV Manager and he told me to "send "Baby" to him.  Again, she came back to me beautifully repaired and wrapped and again with a note from Dan.  By now he knew all about me and we were friends.  In fact, the next time I was in SF I stopped in just to say Hi and the minute I walked in Dan recognized me and called me by name!

Then, just a few months ago, I broke the handle on "Baby".  Immediately I called the SF store only to find that Dan was no longer there but Brian was the new manager.  I told him about "Baby" and her history. He told me to send her to him.  I enclosed a letter with return address but also all about how much I loved this beautiful product and about the exceptional care she had received from them over the years.  He called me a week later and told me that there would be a one hundred dollar charge and I should receive her in about two weeks.

Two weeks went by, no Baby.  I waited a few more weeks and then called.  Brian was thrilled to hear from me.  Seems he had been so taken with the letter I had written he had carried it around with him for weeks, showing it to everyone who came in the store and had inadvertently lost it along with the address for the return.  Then he remembered the TOPsider logo on the top and looked me up on the internet.  He said he was so impressed with my bio and the photo and the TOPsider story and he would love to meet me when next I  am in SF.  Oh, and by the way, forget the hundred dollar charge, there was no charge for Baby.

Now, this is a long story but one of those perfect customer service examples.  Over the years I only was able to buy one item from Bottega Veneta but they treated me like I was the Sultan of Brunei.  If I am ever in a postion to buy again, guess who I will buy from? 

The motto is, every time you come up against some minor concern from a client, remember "Baby".