Make me feel special

I've always been a big believer in the value of customer service. It's a quality that has been severely lacking in the service industry in the last few decades, but every once in a while, a pillar of greatness stands above the crowd to show the world how it's done.

Case in point is my Acura dealership. I used to get good service from the service department. Note that I used the word 'good', not great. One day I went to the dealership for some routine maintenance and there behind the counter was my good buddy Brian. Brian used to be my service advisor back when I owned my Honda Accord and did my servicing at Honda West. Now he works at my Acura dealership and it's like being reunited with an old friend. When I first saw Brian at Acura, he actually remembered my name. It had been eight years since I had seen him. Brian behaves like he cares. He gives me perks that none of the other advisors give me. But the latest event takes the cake. I have had an issue with my car - not a critical one, but it was important to me. I honestly believed that the issue was Acura's fault because it only came to be after they made a recall correction to the part. I mentioned it to Brian and he promised to look into it. We both forgot for a few months and when I brought it up again, he apologized profusely and said he would make amends. Which he did - in spades. Acura agreed to make a goodwill part replacement at no cost to me at all on something that costs a lot of money. He did it with a smile and he made me feel like I am important to their business.

Needless to say, I will continue to return to this dealership and their customer service alone will likely heavily influence my decision on what kind of car to buy next when the time comes. Brian, in the customer service Olympics, you win the Gold medal, bud.