Customer for Life!

[Daley]

In the similar vein of the Buy It For Life! thread, I figured it's time we started a similar thread for businesses that so long as their business practices don't change for the worse, they have a customer for life... even if they don't have the best deals around price wise.

I was inspired by an event earlier today. Picked up a screw in the back tire of our less frequently used (under 500 miles a year) vehicle, and went over to Discount Tire as the primary car has tires from there, they're a good bunch of guys what I've dealt with in the past, and they were literally across the street and down a bit at the point of the discovery. Also, Firestone (the last tire company this car dealt with) had gorillas with impact wrenches put on the nuts, and they weren't breaking loose.

Despite this car last dealing with Firestone a few years back, they didn't care... we were customers due to the other car. They took the tire off, and discovered that despite the tire still having some life left in it, the screw went through the sidewall and not the radial bands. It was shot. Given we drive it so little, we've been on the fence about ditching it for a moped despite the 35+ MPG and cargo storage benefits, and every time we're about to pull that plug, it proves itself worthy of being kept. Added quandary, the spare was over 10 years old, so they couldn't let me leave on it. Unfortunately, the cheapest new tire in the size we needed was going to be over $125. I told them flat out how little we drove the thing and said if it's going to cost that much to reshod it, I'd just as soon sell the car... especially as it's already been an expensive month having to replace the windshield on the other car and for another couple finer but personal detail points. At that point, the manager told me to hold on and we walked the used tire rack. He found a used Goodyear with some tread left that would work and wasn't part of a two or four wheel set, and popped it on the car. Asked what I owed them, and they said nothing... the service was gratis. Sent us on our way with a smile, a handshake, and a thanks for our business. Their generosity and kindness nearly literally floored me... knees went a little soft and everything.

From this day forward, Discount Tire will be my first and last stop for new wheels. I'll still shop around for prices before purchase, but they've guaranteed my repeat business so long as I have access to one and they don't start screwing their customers.

[Nords]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

WordPress has been pretty impressive for the last couple years. 

Kimo's Surf Hut (in Kailua) has also done a great job. 

[Daley]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

I can see this. We've been with USAA now for about a year, and although we have yet to have a need involving an insurance claim, they've treated us well, keep reducing our premiums for the same coverage, and we've heard countless stories about them going above and beyond to help others. It's why we switched to them to begin with.

[boy_bye]

thick bikes in pittsburgh! amazing bike shop, really knowledgeable yet approachable folks who work there. they take great care of me and my bike and always have plenty of time to do the 'splaining that this newbie needs.

[marty998]

I'm with virgin mobile for my phone and wireless broadband. Late last year they had given me a free upgraded USB modem (which is brilliant) however yesterday I managed to lose it. Totally freaked out because I had about 10GB of prepaid data on the sim card inside.

Had a chat with the staff at the store and not only did they give me replacement sim, they migrated my credit across too. Since I still had the old modem I was back online straight away.

Never have I experienced such good service from a major corporate. Especially not a telco!

[meadpointofview]

USAA - great customer service, great mobile aps (deposits from mobile phone), rebates, all around good company

[smalllife]

Badger for personal care products you can't make yourself (they make all sorts of things, including sunscreen, sore muscle salves, and sleep aids).  I am a definite fan of everything I've ever tried except the bug spray.  Family owned, made in USA, organic wherever they can, and metal tins. 

Saddleback Leather: super pricey (pre-Mustachian splurge) but the customer service and quality is phenomenal. 

[Saving mom]

I love USAA but they are expensive for my area. I am probably vastly overinsured and probably need to check the levels to see if I can get overall bill down. However, we had hail damage last year and their adjusters were out here faster than anyone else's and they cut a check very quickly. They even came out to reevaluate some part of our repairs six months after the damage.

Also had great experience with Discount Tires. When it was roofing season here following the massive hail storm, they took nails out of my tires for free 3 or 4 times. Reminds me I need to get them rotated!

[Daley]

After the past couple days (plus the previous nearly three years with them), I can honestly say that I'm now a Platinumtel customer for life. Yes they're an MVNO, but out of all the providers I've contacted the past couple days for assistance with communications equipment for tornado relief, they're the only ones who responded, and responded HUGE through their Giv Mobile division.

100% class act. I don't begrudge the other carriers, and who knows if they may yet come through, but P'tel knocked the ball out of the park on this.

[CommonCents]

Another vote for USAA.  My parents sent in a letter (with a receipt) asking about the process for getting a sump pump replaced that was hit by lightning.  USAA never told them...just cut a check.  I've had a positive experience with two claims too (small apartment fire first month post college and in 2007, my '89 Corolla was hit and totalled by a kid driving a very nice BMW and an address on something like 5th avenue).  They were lower for house insurance, albeit higher on the jewelry rider than my husband's insurance had been, but I don't even mind paying a little extra when I know they'll follow through a cut a check quickly, promptly and hassle free, and I'm not holding the bag arguing with them if something truly catastrophic happens.  They've also rebated money when they didn't pay out as much in claims as expected in the year.

[ritchie70]

Another vote for Discount Tire. I will never deal with anyone else on tires as long as they're in business. Total class act.

I worked in auto repair for almost a decade, so I have a pretty good BS detector, and these guys have never set it off. Do they do all the normal tire store stuff like road hazard protection? Sure, but they take "no" for an answer and move on.

[TomTX]

Another vote for Discount Tire. I will never deal with anyone else on tires as long as they're in business. Total class act.

I worked in auto repair for almost a decade, so I have a pretty good BS detector, and these guys have never set it off. Do they do all the normal tire store stuff like road hazard protection? Sure, but they take "no" for an answer and move on.

When I got a nail in the tire in Houston, Discount Tire told me it was "too close to the sidewall" - note, it wasn't in the sidewall or even the shoulder. It was in the tread. Local mechanic plugged it for me for $12, and I drove it another 20,000+ miles.

[Fireman]

Navy Federal Credit Union.  Great service over the phone (24 hours) and in all the branches i've been to.  The interest rates (coming and going) are very hard to beat.  I'll definitely keep them even if I move to an area without local branches.

[smalllife]

Navy Federal Credit Union.  Great service over the phone (24 hours) and in all the branches i've been to.  The interest rates (coming and going) are very hard to beat.  I'll definitely keep them even if I move to an area without local branches.

Their interest rates are about standard actually.  I've had nothing but bad experiences with them.   If you have direct deposit as an employee, part of your pay being timely is your payroll department and the other half is the bank pulling the funds.  Navy Federal has the latest pull time I've ever seen and just likes to forget to do it every now and again.  I've seen a lot of banking issues, but if there's ever a delay, I can bet it is Navy Federal Credit Union.  Granted, if you don't care about your check date that's fine but it certainly erodes my confidence in them being able to pay bills, etc., in a timely fashion.

[ketchup]

Another vote for Discount Tire. I will never deal with anyone else on tires as long as they're in business. Total class act.

I worked in auto repair for almost a decade, so I have a pretty good BS detector, and these guys have never set it off. Do they do all the normal tire store stuff like road hazard protection? Sure, but they take "no" for an answer and move on.

When I got a nail in the tire in Houston, Discount Tire told me it was "too close to the sidewall" - note, it wasn't in the sidewall or even the shoulder. It was in the tread. Local mechanic plugged it for me for $12, and I drove it another 20,000+ miles.

My friend bought new tires for his Kia Spectra at a local Discount Tire, and they put the wrong size tires on. <_< They wore out completely in under a year and only when replacing them again did he find out they were the wrong size.

[Fireman]

Their interest rates are about standard actually.  I've had nothing but bad experiences with them.   If you have direct deposit as an employee, part of your pay being timely is your payroll department and the other half is the bank pulling the funds.  Navy Federal has the latest pull time I've ever seen and just likes to forget to do it every now and again.  I've seen a lot of banking issues, but if there's ever a delay, I can bet it is Navy Federal Credit Union.  Granted, if you don't care about your check date that's fine but it certainly erodes my confidence in them being able to pay bills, etc., in a timely fashion.

Sounds like a bad experience for sure.  I've been very fortunate with them and have always used direct deposit for work.  My deposit is available every other Thursday at midnight, just like clockwork (knock on wood).

[smalllife]

Their interest rates are about standard actually.  I've had nothing but bad experiences with them.   If you have direct deposit as an employee, part of your pay being timely is your payroll department and the other half is the bank pulling the funds.  Navy Federal has the latest pull time I've ever seen and just likes to forget to do it every now and again.  I've seen a lot of banking issues, but if there's ever a delay, I can bet it is Navy Federal Credit Union.  Granted, if you don't care about your check date that's fine but it certainly erodes my confidence in them being able to pay bills, etc., in a timely fashion.

Sounds like a bad experience for sure.  I've been very fortunate with them and have always used direct deposit for work.  My deposit is available every other Thursday at midnight, just like clockwork (knock on wood).

Fortunately it wasn't my experience, just repeated exposure on the customer service end as the company who sent the funds when they were supposed to.

[adam]

Their interest rates are about standard actually.  I've had nothing but bad experiences with them.   If you have direct deposit as an employee, part of your pay being timely is your payroll department and the other half is the bank pulling the funds.  Navy Federal has the latest pull time I've ever seen and just likes to forget to do it every now and again.  I've seen a lot of banking issues, but if there's ever a delay, I can bet it is Navy Federal Credit Union.  Granted, if you don't care about your check date that's fine but it certainly erodes my confidence in them being able to pay bills, etc., in a timely fashion.

Sounds like a bad experience for sure.  I've been very fortunate with them and have always used direct deposit for work.  My deposit is available every other Thursday at midnight, just like clockwork (knock on wood).

Fortunately it wasn't my experience, just repeated exposure on the customer service end as the company who sent the funds when they were supposed to.

Thats weird. I was going to post NFCU in here because its been the best bank I've ever had.  Never any problems with them on my end.

[chicagomeg]

LL Bean for sure. Granted, I scour their clearance and rarely pay full price for anything they sell, but for everyday essentials like coats and boots, they're my first (and often only) stop.

[AllChoptUp]

NFCU for banking, great service for 18 years.

GEICO for car insurance.  USAA can meet but not beat the rates.  After a flood (Hampton Roads, VA area) when every car in the neighborhood was totalled, GEICO had a rep out 2 days before our neighbors who had USAA. :)

[Frugal Ninja]

Smith Sunglasses.

I had been envious of a friends pair and picked up a pair on Steepandcheap.com for a great price. The main use was for my fly fishing passion (being able to see through the water with quality polarized lens' is almost cheating).  They are comfortable, durable and damn stylish.

However, one day while playing frisbee in the park I took them off....and eventually landed on them after jumping up for a catch.  All things considered, they held up pretty well....considering I weigh 200 pounds and came down pretty hard.  I was hoping they would be repairable, but didnt have my hopes up.

My delemia was I was leaving in 12 days for a rafting and kayacking trip...and really really didnt want to have to resort to using my back up gas station glasses.  So I mailed them overnight into customer service with a small note explaing exactly what I just told you, even admitting that I landed on them with crunching force...and left my phone number, email address, etc.

The next afternoon, I recieved a phone call from a guy in service at Smith that talked and sounded like some of my old rocky mountain fishing buddies.  He said he totally understood my situation and didnt want me to have to go on "that badass adventure" without my "go to shades".  However, he informed me that mine were beyond repair...and as they were a discontinued model, my FREE replacement would have to be shipped from thier warehouse and would not likly arrive in time for my trip.  I was expecting to pay for the repair, as it was completly my fault and not the products fault....WIN

I was a little dissapointed to not have them quickly....but really excited to be getting a brand new free replacement!!

This wasnt the end.  He had an additional offer to help with my problem.  He said he just emailed me thier product catalog and told me to pick ANY pair I wanted.  He would immediatly ship these to me at no cost, and even include a prepaid return package.  The only caveat was that I was asked to "you know do the right thing" and send them back after my trip when my replacement pair arrived.

Best customer service ever!!  I felt so good about it, I didnt take him up on the offer...as I honestly felt it was more than I deserved from them, and what they had done for me already was way more than fair considering I broke the things in the first place. 

Best part....my replacement shades arrived on my doorstep no more than 5 minutes before I left for my trip. 

[RetiredAt63]

1. My local Mazda dealer's service Department.  They found me a 7000 km engine when my engine self-destructed - made sure the car was in good shape otherwise before I had it put in.  Found me a used winter tire when my tire got a nail in it that made the tire unfix-able - charged me for labour, no charge for the tire - and the service manager apologized that the tire would only get me through the rest of this winter.  No problem, I will need new tires next fall anyway.

2.  Fido - I have gotten much better service from them than Rodger's, even though they are two branches of the same company.  I kept dropping my usage (and cost) down while I was under contract, with no problems, and when I went for their second line for my home phone, the rep suggested using my Fido dollars to buy the receiver that the home phone plugs into.  Have always had good service from them.

3. Xplornet - internet providers for those of us in the boonies, where the "big guys" don't want to go.  I have a small box on my house that lines up with a local tower, and I have good internet speed.  Their phone service people are in New Brunswick and very helpful and pleasant to deal with.

4. I don't fly much, but I have to give United credit.  When I flew to visit my sister this year, Air Canada was 1.5 hours late leaving, which meant I missed my connecting flight with United.  Air Canada did what they are supposed to (free overnight accommodation and travel to and from) but United went the extra mile and kept bumping me up on the standby list and were happy when I actually got on a flight a day earlier than Air Canada had been able to arrange.  And nice while they did it.

[Lorin]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

Really? About a year ago, I got a letter from them saying the opposite - that since I'm only military family (& 2nd generation at that), I was no longer eligible for membership. They're not canceling the services I have, but I'm not allowed any new ones & if I ever cancel, I wouldn't be able to re-join. I was kind of miffed.

[FuckRx]

After the past couple days (plus the previous nearly three years with them), I can honestly say that I'm now a Platinumtel customer for life. Yes they're an MVNO, but out of all the providers I've contacted the past couple days for assistance with communications equipment for tornado relief, they're the only ones who responded, and responded HUGE through their Giv Mobile division.

100% class act. I don't begrudge the other carriers, and who knows if they may yet come through, but P'tel knocked the ball out of the park on this.

may i ask which plan u use with them? i'm with Ting right now and i love ting but i really like their plans. so as for this thread, i really would recommend Ting. however i'm going into the $30 range a lot. for $35 it looks like i could just go unlimited with ptel.

[Daley]

may i ask which plan u use with them? i'm with Ting right now and i love ting but i really like their plans. so as for this thread, i really would recommend Ting. however i'm going into the $30 range a lot. for $35 it looks like i could just go unlimited with ptel.

Both my wife and myself use their Real PayGo plans as each of our monthly usage habits pegs in at between $5-10/month. We're not heavy users. One thing you might keep in mind with them is that $35 only gets you unlimited 2G/EDGE data. If data speeds don't matter much to you and you have good T-Mo network coverage, you should be fine, but you'll need another new phone. I love P'tel dearly for their customer support and their giving hearts, and I will remain with them for as long as is practically possible, but I'm not going to tell someone else to select them over another option if it means wasting additional money unnecessarily, contributing further to electronic waste generation, and potentially selecting a plan that either doesn't fit their usage patterns or uses a network that has lousy coverage in their area.

[Nords]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

Really? About a year ago, I got a letter from them saying the opposite - that since I'm only military family (& 2nd generation at that), I was no longer eligible for membership. They're not canceling the services I have, but I'm not allowed any new ones & if I ever cancel, I wouldn't be able to re-join. I was kind of miffed.

They're the first to admit that their membership qualifications can be convoluted and confusing.  Take a look at their website to see if something's changed since you got your letter:
https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/why_choose_usaa_main#tab8, click on the bottom tab labeled "A Legacy to Pass Down"

[Trudie]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

WordPress has been pretty impressive for the last couple years. 

Kimo's Surf Hut (in Kailua) has also done a great job.

My husband's dad served in the Army during the Korean Conflict.  Would we qualify for USAA Insurance?

[Nords]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

My husband's dad served in the Army during the Korean Conflict.  Would we qualify for USAA Insurance?

If you're asking about life insurance, then yes-- USAA will sell life insurance without a military connection.  The membership issue arises with vehicle/property insurance. 

This issue in this situation is that your father-in-law has to be a USAA member also.  If he's still alive then he should join USAA (even if it's just to open a checking account or a CD) and then you'll be able to join USAA.  If he's no longer alive but was a USAA member then call USAA and see what they can do.  If he's no longer alive and was not a USAA member then they will probably tell you that you're not eligible for membership.

[Elderwood17]

I have another vote for Discount Tire.  They have always been great to work with.

[DrJohn]

REI.  We had a nice Kingdom 6 tent from REI.  Even though we knew that type was prone to damage from high winds we set up camp on a calm day and did not stake out guy lines.  A storm/squall came through during the early hours of the morning and crushed most tents on the site.  Unfortunately, one of the two pole sets in our tent was bent.  We took the poles into REI for repair/straightening, and a couple of weeks later got a call to say they were back for pickup in store.  I showed up and the staff could not find our (half set) of repaired poles, so opened up a brand new tent and gave us a full set of poles- no charge.  Very nice.

Well done guys!

[whydavid]

Newegg.com -- A few returns over the years, including one where the RMA expired because I forgot to send the product back before leaving for vacation and when I got back both the RMA and return period had passed...they took it back no problem, and that's been par for the course.

As for the ongoing Discount Tire discussion, I wouldn't waste a minute shopping with them if their prices weren't better than everyone else's.  It's funny that someone else mentioned them putting the wrong size tires on a Kia, since they did just that to my sister's Kia Sedona recently and then refused any form of compensation when they wore out < 15k miles later on the inside of the rear tires where they were clearly rubbing against something in the wheel well (the reasoning was basically, these are the size you asked for, so we're not going to do anything special for you...as if my brother-in-law went down and demanded a certain size...).  In general, I've had a ton of conversations with them over the years about tires never lasting anywhere near their rated mileage, and about 90% of the time the response has been to NOT stand by the tires they happily sold as XX thousand mile tires but rather to hide behind "road conditions may vary." (I'm not rough on my tires...speed limit driving with properly inflated tires on paved roads).  On occasion the rep will actually offer to prorate the replacement tires based on mileage, and even if they don't offer if you stand there long enough and argue they will usually cave (though I prefer shopping at places that don't require me to make an ass of myself to get them to do the right thing).  They are a lousy company, but maybe my perception is biased since I'm from AZ where they originated and tightly control the local market, perhaps they behave better when they actually have to compete.

[davisgang90]

Amazon.com

Hassle free returns and super easy to work with if you have an issue.

We did an Amazon instant video deal and it didn't work very well on the Roku so we ended up watching it on the laptop.

Without me asking, Amazon refunded the video fee since they detected the video quality wasn't great.

I've never had a bad purchase experience from them.

[Basenji]

Resurrecting cuz it's a cool thread
USAA, has been a fab support through 10 moves, one in which the movers stole all our CDs and electronics, just came through for a car issue.
NFCU, awesome 30-year mortgage rate
I'll think up more...

[asiljoy]

There's a local steakhouse here called Manny's; it's an nice old-fashioned steakhouse, the kind that keeps itself in top notch shape, but gives zero fucks if you like them or not and is family friendly in that they have high-chairs, but it's definitely not the first place I think of for family brunch.

Anyways, this particular time, I was having a rough day as was my toddler. He was a fussy bunny and I was near the end of my rope. We ended up at this restaurant because it was my brother's choice on his birthday. This place went above and beyond to make sure that my kid was happy, even though you could tell it wasn't something they did on a regular basis. Before we even sat down, a server was asking if they could bring over milk and something for him to snack on. Throughout the meal, they were very attentive and did little things that just made everything easier, like they brought over extra napkins when they saw he was getting a kick out of playing peak a boo with them.  I was able to relax a little bit and everyone was able to have a nice meal. It was fantastic and we'll definitely be going back.

[Jack]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

Really? About a year ago, I got a letter from them saying the opposite - that since I'm only military family (& 2nd generation at that), I was no longer eligible for membership. They're not canceling the services I have, but I'm not allowed any new ones & if I ever cancel, I wouldn't be able to re-join. I was kind of miffed.

They're the first to admit that their membership qualifications can be convoluted and confusing.  Take a look at their website to see if something's changed since you got your letter:
https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/why_choose_usaa_main#tab8, click on the bottom tab labeled "A Legacy to Pass Down"

Both my father and my father-in-law served in the military. I inquired about joining USAA (and NFCU, for that matter), but was told in both cases that my wife and I would only become eligible if one of our fathers opened accounts with them first.

[citykid3785]

AsilJoy, you must be in the Twin Cities like me!

For me:
Geico - always the cheapest for me, and better customer service without an agent!
LifeTime Fitness - their product is just that superior
Punch Pizza (local chain) - first mover in Neapolitan pizza.  Not only is the product the best, but the customer centricity is second to none.
Aldi - no hassle returns, polite workers, quick checkout lines, well paid employees, 50% discount, everyday.
Amazon - not always the cheapest, but usually.  Always dependable, good returns, great reviews

Forgot to add Nespresso (great quality espresso, fast shipping, excellent customer service), and Vitamix!

[Nords]

USAA.

They've screwed up more than their fair share of things over the last 32 years, but they're still way ahead on exceptional customer service.

They've also greatly expanded their membership criteria.  Anyone can join for everything except vehicle/property insurance.  Even those two are open to "all who have served honorably... and their families". 

Really? About a year ago, I got a letter from them saying the opposite - that since I'm only military family (& 2nd generation at that), I was no longer eligible for membership. They're not canceling the services I have, but I'm not allowed any new ones & if I ever cancel, I wouldn't be able to re-join. I was kind of miffed.

They're the first to admit that their membership qualifications can be convoluted and confusing.  Take a look at their website to see if something's changed since you got your letter:
https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/why_choose_usaa_main#tab8, click on the bottom tab labeled "A Legacy to Pass Down"

Both my father and my father-in-law served in the military. I inquired about joining USAA (and NFCU, for that matter), but was told in both cases that my wife and I would only become eligible if one of our fathers opened accounts with them first.

Yep, that's the policy.

[lbmustache]

Costco, especially as long as they have gas. Their gas is often cheap enough - and I fill up often enough - for the difference to basically pay for the membership and then some.

Also adding another vote for Discount Tire, here they are America's Tire. A+ service with zero hassle.

[cavewoman]

my anti-mustachian fast food go-to....... In n Out!

Delicious and well-priced.  The employees are super nice.  And paid well. (/because they are paid well?) 

[Mountainbug]

Les Schwab for tires on west coast. Not necessarily the best prices but excellent customer service in my personal experience. They have fixed two flats for free even though we didn't buy the tires from them, because we were previous customers.

+1 for in n out! The only fast food worth eating.

[Paul der Krake]

Fidelity. Their website is inconsistent, they spend too much buying ads on CNBC, but they never push their high-fee products and their phone reps are my gold standard when it comes to support. A few things that come to mind:

- minimal wait times unless you call at lunch time during tax season. I usually call at 7am and get a highly trained professional, not a poor schmuck working the graveyard shift with little training
- extremely fast resolutions, whatever the issue
- they've thrown a few free trades at me after I asked
- top notch cash management services (free checks, ATM card) to complement the brokerage account
- my last name is usually butchered, but they always get it right. It's the small things, you know?

I've been with them since I was a young punk with a net worth in the 3 digits, and they've always been ridiculously professional and helpful. I love that I am developing a multi-decade relationship wih a company that nails customer service like this.

[wtrfre]

I had to respond to all the votes for NFCU.  They have been the least secure bank I have ever done business with.  Branches have allowed others to bank on your account with no authorization by the account holder.  You can even end up with completely new joint account holders.  When confronted they insist it was authorized by you, but can provide no proof (can produce no signature they claim they received).  No rate is worth their insecurity.

[Shinplaster]

Mirolin bath products.   We have 2 of their showers, plus 1 tub/shower combo, and the gaskets at the bottoms of the doors deteriorate after a few years.  I just call them up, tell them how many feet I need, and they send it by courier.  They are the nicest people to talk to on the phone, and absolutely refuse to let me pay for the gasket.   I know it probably only costs them a few cents for the material, but the courier usually costs $7!   We broke one of the hinges on one of the shower doors, and after sending them a photo of which one it was, we got a free one in the mail within 5 days.

Moen.  Although I am not impressed by the new versions of their bathroom taps (way too much plastic!), they replace the cartridges for taps for free, no matter how old they are.  We also had a balance spool on the tub faucet seize up with hard water deposits (we don't use it all that often), and they walked me through exactly how to switch it out, and sent me the spool for free.

[Papa Mustache]

Amazon.com

Hassle free returns and super easy to work with if you have an issue.

We did an Amazon instant video deal and it didn't work very well on the Roku so we ended up watching it on the laptop.

Without me asking, Amazon refunded the video fee since they detected the video quality wasn't great.

I've never had a bad purchase experience from them.

I'll second the no charge video rentals.

That said I recently bought something from a reseller. The product page said "full-filled by Amazon" next to the price yet I get a notice that said item is coming all the way from China in a month to six weeks... I guess I'll be patient and pay closer attention next time.

[Jakejake]

Vitamix. I bought a used one off craigslist, and called to see if they had an accessory for it - but it turned out the piece I wanted was no longer made because it was an older model. No big deal, I knew I could find it on ebay. That day, I got an email from the customer service rep saying hold on, I found one on someone's desk here - I'm sending it out to you no charge. That won me over for life, especially since they didn't profit from the used one I bought!

[FLA]

Land's End in combo with my Discover card.  I charge everything possible (and no, it has been 25+ years and I do not spend more with my card). Anyway Discover gives cash back, which you can take as cash or buy a gift card worth more, i.e.: it costs $20 of your cash back to get a $25 Land's End GC.  Then you shop through the Discover site and save 5-10% more and you can still use LE promo codes, etc.  This month shopping through Discover was 10% back, but they also had a general 5% back on all dept stores. I'm a single mom, our work dress was business casual, I guess.  I'm short, LE fits me like a glove, when I am petite but thin.  Now plus size, the fit isn't as great as I am still short so plus sizes can be way too long.  But anyway, I would buy on sale or clearance items when I also had a free ship and 30% off code. I got stuff that has lasted years and years for cheap as can be.  Their quality has gone down hill but Discover and LE have had my back. I wish I had kept track of what I saved. 

I will be an Apple customer for life.  I dropped my phone in Disney, it was turned in and stepped on.  Arghhh.  Took to nearest store, it was way out of warranty.  The guy gave me a new one, not refurbed, for nothing because the computer showed I was a good customer.  This was the biggest but they have also done some repairs that cost up to $150 and said again, good customer, we'll cover it.  I love the Genius Bar, the telephone support (not free after warranty, again, somehow free) and I signed up for One to One classes with this latest laptop because the thing in my brain makes me forget so much.  I go to this older gentleman, former teacher, very mellow and I feel comfortable saying, "I know we did this, it's not hard but I can't replicate it." I have yet to have a negative experience with them, down side, price and child labor.  Aren't they working to fix the child labor?  And the prices go down when the new shiny stuff arrives so they aren't so expensive.  My last laptop, intro level macbook lasted 8 or 9 yrs, I have a really big iPod, maybe 10 yrs, because I don't want my music on my phone.  I brought that in to one of my classes, employees were amazed it had lasted so long, some of the younger ones had never seen it. 

Amica insurance, car, life, home

[AZDude]

In the similar vein of the Buy It For Life! thread, I figured it's time we started a similar thread for businesses that so long as their business practices don't change for the worse, they have a customer for life... even if they don't have the best deals around price wise.

I was inspired by an event earlier today. Picked up a screw in the back tire of our less frequently used (under 500 miles a year) vehicle, and went over to Discount Tire as the primary car has tires from there, they're a good bunch of guys what I've dealt with in the past, and they were literally across the street and down a bit at the point of the discovery. Also, Firestone (the last tire company this car dealt with) had gorillas with impact wrenches put on the nuts, and they weren't breaking loose.

Despite this car last dealing with Firestone a few years back, they didn't care... we were customers due to the other car. They took the tire off, and discovered that despite the tire still having some life left in it, the screw went through the sidewall and not the radial bands. It was shot. Given we drive it so little, we've been on the fence about ditching it for a moped despite the 35+ MPG and cargo storage benefits, and every time we're about to pull that plug, it proves itself worthy of being kept. Added quandary, the spare was over 10 years old, so they couldn't let me leave on it. Unfortunately, the cheapest new tire in the size we needed was going to be over $125. I told them flat out how little we drove the thing and said if it's going to cost that much to reshod it, I'd just as soon sell the car... especially as it's already been an expensive month having to replace the windshield on the other car and for another couple finer but personal detail points. At that point, the manager told me to hold on and we walked the used tire rack. He found a used Goodyear with some tread left that would work and wasn't part of a two or four wheel set, and popped it on the car. Asked what I owed them, and they said nothing... the service was gratis. Sent us on our way with a smile, a handshake, and a thanks for our business. Their generosity and kindness nearly literally floored me... knees went a little soft and everything.

From this day forward, Discount Tire will be my first and last stop for new wheels. I'll still shop around for prices before purchase, but they've guaranteed my repeat business so long as I have access to one and they don't start screwing their customers.

I like Discount Tire as well. Had a flat on the side of the freeway a while ago on the way home. It was 5:25PM when I got to Discount Tire, and they "close" at 5:30. I had a job interview the next day and needed a working car to get there the next morning. They had new tires on the car in 15 minutes and sent me on my way.

[Thegoblinchief]

West Bend Mutual insurance. Local home/auto insurance provider. Awesome claims service when we had a major burglary and again when DW totaled her car.

Vanguard. Surprised no one has mentioned it.

[Trudie]

Costco.  While not everything's a "deal", there are certain things -- like clothes -- I REALLY like to buy there.  I've had stuff go bad after a short while and never been hassled on returns.  I realize they're up front about doing business this way and I just like the added peace of mind -- especially for major purchases.

In the time-value-money-hassle equation I will continue to put some priority on low hassle (at least during my working years when I'm light on time to run after things.)

[FrugalWad]

Lodge. Their cast iron dutch ovens and skillets are awesome, and their customer service is great too. They'll even reply to private messages on Facebook.

EatSmart. I have both a kitchen scale and two different weight scales. All have held up great the last several years I've had them. One time, I thought something had gone wrong, so I called and the guy was going to give me an RMA and just return it and get a new one for free. A few minutes later, he calls me back, saying he's talked to one of the engineers, and walked me through resetting it to make it all better again.

Navy Federal Credit Union. I've had the best customer service from this bank, in any department I've had to deal with. They've gone out of their way at times to help me find out something, or get something they might not offer but could escalate to some kind of committee to help.

Red Wing. The best boots I've ever owned. I used to get Bates on active duty, but the soles would split every few months. At $50-100 a pop, I wasn't impressed. The Red Wings cost an arm and a leg at a time, but it was 10 years before I had to get the sole replaced.

Honda. One month out of warranty, but well under the mileage cutoff, something happened to the window mechanism. I called Honda corporate, and they were going to get hold of the dealership to get the issue fixed for free. I went to the dealership and told them about it, and they didn't even bother going through headquarters; they fixed it on the spot for free. Not to mention the cars are just great.