Griffin Technology: Amazing Customer Service, Part Two

Back in January, I wrote about the iTrip, and then later, in May, I wrote about problem with my iTrip order.

Well, I’ve had my iTrip for a couple of months now, and I’ve been generally impressed with it: it’s a compact, functional piece of technology with an ingenious design.

But I’ve also had problems: when the iTrip is plugged into my iPod, and I’m driving along in my car, and I hit a a bump, sometimes the iTrip goes wonky on me, and strange Star Trek-like sounds start coming out of my radio. Often I’ll go over another bump, and things will jar back to normal. From my laymen’s chair, it sounds like a loose contact inside the unit or something.

So I emailed Griffin Technology and got back the following reply:

What kind of 4 wheelin are you doing Peter? Road rally in the Rockies? Actually it sounds like you have a faulty iTrip. I will be glad to swap it out for you. Did you buy it form us directly? Tell me where you bought it and what your shipping address is and I will be glad to exchange the unit. Let me know and I will make it happen. For faster service you may want to give us a call as the e-mail thing can take a while to get to.

This reply has it all: humour, honesty, and good customer service, all rolled into one.

So today I called, as they suggested, and talked to another chap, explained my problem, and he agreed to do the swap. When he found out I was in Canada, he said it would cost me a lot to return the faulty unit, so told me to simply “destroy it in some creative fashion,” and send them a photo or QuickTime movie of the process.

A replacement iTrip is on the way.

So here’s another example of where “bad” customer service — a faulty product — can turn into amazing customer service — the kind of service that I will take 10 minutes out of my day to write about, tell all my friends about, etc.

So here’s my question: what’s the difference between Aliant, my personal quality purveyor of shitty customer service, and Griffin Technology? What does Griffin know that Aliant doesn’t? Where does Griffin get their good employees, and how do they encourage and allow them to be real, reasonable people? And how does Aliant capture employee souls and suck them out so effectively? I really want to know.