Barry Moltz: Customer service, without limits

Small business consultant and Garden Center contributor Barry Moltz says though small businesses say they specialize in customer service and will go to great lengths to make customers happy, usually there are limits.

But some companies go above and beyond to make sure customers are satisfied.

In one example, Moltz writes about how the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Amelia Island, Fla., helped a boy find his stuffed animal. But the company didn't just ship back the furry friend. The boy's father, Chris Hurn at Mercantile Capital Corporation, told his son that his stuffed animal, "Joshie," wanted to stay a few extra days, and not to worry about leaving him. To corroborate the father's story, the hotel sent photos of Joshie sunning by the pool, getting a massage and taking a drive on the beach.

Hurn was so thrilled he made a video about the experience, which went viral, and it ended up being a free marketing campaign for the company.

Here Moltz describes five other companies that went the extra mile to ensure they not only please their customers -- they keep them for life: https://www.openforum.com/articles/practicing-acts-of-extreme-customers-service/

Read more by Barry Moltz: 

Mend the Fences: 10 ways to smooth and improve your relationship with your supplier.

How to hire your next web designer: Follow these 10 steps for website success