"The best time to win customer loyalty is when you make a mistake". I heard this comment years ago in an address by an IBM executive, and I keep finding examples of it again and again.

The most common positive example in Maine is probably L.L. Bean. I never forgot that pair of Bean boots that sat in my closet for years because they didn't fit right. Finally, about eight years later, I got up my courage, brought them back and exchanged them for a pair that didn't chafe at my feet.

The IBM exec called attention to two costs: transaction and opportunity. The transaction cost was what it cost Bean to replace my boots -- years after most retailers would have said my chance had past. That was probably about half the retail cost of the boots. The opportunity cost was the sales volume since then -- generated both by me and by those I've told about this story. L.L. Bean made money by replacing my boots!

I've never forgotten a restaurant in Maine (since closed) that made a mistake and served me not the wine I had ordered, but one that was slightly more expensive. They tried to charge me for the more expensive wine. When I protested they charged me even more, saying that they had undercharged me for the wine I had been served. I can't tell you how many people I steered away from that restaurant.

Not long ago Siano's Pizza made up a large pizza when I had ordered a small. I didn't have to ask -- they served it to me, and charged me for what I had ordered. Yes, I got a bargain, but they did the right thing. I'll not forget.

The French casement windows, and one of the expensive doors, that we bought from Kolbe-Kolbe have never worked properly. Most don't fully close, and one is stuck and won't open. Kolbe-Kolbe gave us many excuses for why they weren't going to fix the windows, except at our (huge) expense. I'd advise anybody to stay clear of Kolbe Kolbe. The cost of having windows that don't work, and for which responsible support is not available, is much too great.

But I shouldn't dwell on the negative. That lobster I bought at Harbor Fish that turned out to be bad. . . It was replaced without question or hassle, and with a profuse apology. I could have bought my bad lobster at any (unsuspecting) dealer; luckily I went to a place that had integrity and heart. Note that this is not a story about a bad lobster, but about a good business.

PC Connection once sold me a computer with some added components that were not the premium brand I had ordered. Rather than spend time getting replacements, I asked for a partial refund. They asked what I thought was fair, and then immediately said 'yes' to my reasonable request. No hassle, no need for manager's approval.

Maine Laser Tech once failed to fix an intermittent problem in my printer. I don't believe I could fault them, but it was frustrating ... having lugged the big heavy unit into town from Peaks, and then back again. Their response was brilliant. They sent out a young new employee to fix the printer at our summer cottage. He had clearly been given specific instructions of what might be needed on our printer, and he succeeded. I assume that the owner of Maine Laser Tech spent more on our repair than we paid him ... but I've sung their praises ever since. They remain my vendor of choice for laser cartridges, or for repair of laser printers.

What leads a company like Maine Laser Tech to put customers first, while Kolbe-Kolbe leaves them behind I don't know. I'd like to believe that in the market place, those who offer the best service will rise to the top. However, it's not at all clear that this really is true.

Now, in the days after Christmas, and after Christmas presents have been exchanged, if you need customer service, remember that you're giving the merchant an opportunity to win your loyalty. Let's see if they understand.

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