If you’ve ever worked with us, you know that we take customer service seriously here at Arbiser Machine. In fact, we go a step further, offering what we call “personal service.” To us, treating customers well is second nature. But every now and then, we’re reminded that excellent customer service isn’t a given—not in our industry or any other. 

When our president Bill McKlveen served as a general contractor for the demolition of a house and worked with numerous other contractors, he got a crash course in how not to treat customers. 

3 Major Customer Service Mistakes to Avoid

In most cases, good customer service boils down to treating your customers how you would like to be treated. Unfortunately, however, when contractors are stretched too thin, customer service is often the first thing that goes out the window. 

Here are the three biggest customer service faux pas Bill experienced during his stint as a general contractor—and why you’ll never encounter them when you work with our precision machine shop.

Poor communication 

It’s astounding how many contractors don’t get back to a customer to let them know they received their message or request. This misstep leaves customers waiting around, unable to plan what needs to happen next. 

At Arbiser Machine, we immediately acknowledge every RFQ. Our quoting software is automated to respond quickly, but that’s not enough for us. We ensure that customers hear from a person via email by the end of the day with the approximate turnaround time for our services. 

Inability to see the big picture 

It would be great if customers only needed services from one contractor, but the reality is they often work with several at a time for a single project. And yet, some contractors act like they’re the only ones in the picture. When they fail to show up or can’t complete their job, chances are they’ll impact the timing of other work and delay the entire endeavor. 

We understand that we’re part of a larger ecosystem of manufacturing work with many moving parts involved. We’ll provide detailed timelines to fit your schedule and meet deadlines so you don’t have to worry about project delays. We can even coordinate and project manage all those moving parts if you need us to. 

Disrespecting customer property

The worst customer service failure Bill saw during his time as a general contractor was the blatant disregard for customer property. He was shocked when one of the contractors parked their truck in his driveway, leaving behind an unsightly oil stain. 

We’ve experienced similar carelessness at our precision machine shop, receiving parts back from vendors that are dinged, scratched, or marked due to lazy packaging. Rest assured that we do not stand for this and will ensure that the parts you receive from us are in perfect shape. From our first interaction until we package your parts, you can expect to be treated with respect. 

A Customer Service Win 

You may be wondering if anything went well during Bill’s time as a general contractor, and thankfully, the answer is yes! Excellent customer service is hard to come by, but it’s still out there. 

After having a plumber come to fix a leak in the bathroom vanity, Bill set up water sensors and cameras to ensure the leak didn’t persist after the plumber left. Unfortunately, it did. But when Bill called the plumber to let him know there was still an issue, the plumber was there immediately to take care of it. 

At Arbiser Machine, we always try to get your parts right the first time. But if a problem does arise, we’ll do everything we can to make it right as soon as possible. 

Our intention for recounting Bill’s experience isn’t to bad-mouth contractors. No—our big takeaway is that customer service is a capability like any other. At the end of the day, treating customers right is just as important as manufacturing parts to specifications. 

If you want to work with a precision machine shop that prioritizes excellent customer service, request a quote on our website today!