Almost every business will say that they provide great customer service. That’s why we ask customers to give feedback on every business we feature on the best of Ealing before they come on the site.  So what are some of the elements of really good customer service that we as consumers value?

If you have to take time off work to be in for a tradesman to visit then you are likely to value punctuality. Keeping to an appointment made isn’t just polite it’s showing consideration that the client has other things going on in their life. Safeclean recently came to clean my carpet and called to reconfirm the appointment the night before. They were bang on time when both they came to quote and do the job and gave an accurate assessment of the amount of time they would need to finish the job so top marks all round.

However with traffic and unexpected problems schedules can alter as we all realise. What’s important then is how a company deals with their clients. Do they make them wait in ignorance or do they show consideration as London Heating do and call the next appointment before the time they should be there to apologise for the delay and give a revised time for them to attend.

Another thing we value as part of good customer service is the acknowledgement that there is an ongoing relationship of trust to be built up between company and client. For instance I recently took my car for its MOT at Dominion Auto Services and they cleaned it for me before I returned to collect it even though my bill was relatively small. When I returned a couple of weeks later asking them to change a bulb they just charged me for the bulb itself – no labour or other charges. So where do you think I’m taking the car next time it needs a big service? They’ve shown me I can trust them not to overcharge in little things so I don’t doubt I’ll be given good value in big things too.

Some great independent local retailers add a little extra as part of their great customer service. Award-winning babye boutique in Ealing Broadway realised that a good number of purchases made are gifts for newborn babies or christenings and so they offer a free gift wrapping service to their customers. They also have a great range of suitable greetings cards to buy under the same roof.

Outstanding florist The Cracked Pot in Northfields put a list of flowers used in a bouquet with the order so you can see what has been used (educational as well as beautiful!). They also get it 100% right when it really matters such as wedding decorations or floral tributes for funerals as the comments they have received testify.

Often its committed staff who go that extra mile for clients (take a look at testimonials on the site amongst others for Access Self Storage and The Carpet and Flooring Centre and a previous blog post about The Press Gang) who make all the difference to the customer service we receive.

If you have good experience of customer service for the companies we feature on the best of Ealing why not leave a testimonial for them?

If you know of other local companies who offer great customer service we’d love you to tell us who they are. Just leave a recommendation on our site.