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A SERVICE ACE
by Larry Lustig from Tennis Times
I sat in one of the leather easy chairs next to the string machine and told Zach Glaser a story about how Tom Peters taught me the value of customer service. It was in 1983, the same year Zach was born.
Peters, a passionate management consultant who was touring the country promoting his new book In Search of Excellence, told a story of a businessman who discovered the power of exceptional customer service. The man, whose wife was always telling him about Nordstrom, decided to check out their alleged world-class customer service for himself. He went to the Mens' Sale and bought a suit.
"Alterations are about ten days out," the salesman said.
"But I need it back tomorrow for a business trip."
"No Problem."
On his way to the airport the next day, he stopped by Nordstrom to get his suit. Not ready. I knew it! The salesman apologized and asked if there was anything that he could do. No, that's all right, I'll manage. Disappointed, the man smiled to himself about finding the chink in the Nordstrom armor. He know that no store could be that good. Fortunately, he's packed another suit, just in case.
At 8:00 A.M. the next morning, there was a knock on his Dallas hotel room door.
"Mr. Simpson, we have a package for you."
The bellman handed the man a tall Fed Ex Box, which included his new suit along with a complimentary shirt and matching tie. There was also a thank you note in the breast pocket apologizing for the inconvenience.
What's the point? And why is this story in a tennis magazine.
Zach Glaser is now 23 years old. He owns a small tennis shop in Bellevue, Zach's Tennis. He's never heard of Tom Peters, but he understands him. He's never knowingly read a page from In Search of Excellence, yet he knows how to add value, personality, and passion in the age of Internet.
If you want to see why some neighborhood retail will never be replaced by an on-line mega store, visit Zach's. From the outside, it's a tennis shop. But on the inside, it's the corner tavern, a throwback to a time when folks in the neighborhood would share stories with their favorite bartender. OK, just one more, but then I've got to go.
Zach Glaser is an updated Sam Malone, a friendly Babolat barista, standing behind the stringer, suggesting new and creative multi-filament cocktails to help improve your game, or your relationship with your doubles partner.
Need to try a racquet out before you buy? But everybody does demos, you say. Perhaps. But it's different here. A few questions about your game and your needs and choices get narrowed down. Have you hit with the new Volkl? How about the Wilson nCode n5? Why not take them both? No charge. No late fees. No problem. Want to take them with you on vacation to Scottsdale? Go ahead. Try getting that from a website (or from any other "off-line" store in town).
Having recently joined the senior tennis circuit, an idea I'm still getting used to, I decided to give up my smaller "players" racquets in favor of something oversized with a little more power. I tried a Yonex V-Con 30. When Zach told me the company had discontinued the line, I asked if he could sell me the demo. No problem.
"Got a few minutes?" he asked.
While I waited, he replaced the strings with what he called a Federer Cocktail, a hybrid of Babolat VS Natural Gut mixed with Big Banger. We talked about Bush, the girl who works in the beauty salon next door, even developed a new sitcom, all in fifteen minutes.
"How much?" I asked.
"It's on me," he said.
I wanted to pay him. Something. I felt like my twenty year-old son had just offered to buy me dinner.
"I feel bad I couldn't get you a new racquet. You're a good customer. It's the least I could do."
As a toddler, perhaps Zach's parents read him In Search of Excellence instead of Goodnight Moon or Curious George.
"And if the man in the yellow hat ever comes in to exchange it for an orange one, never ask if he has his receipt."