<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><base href="/"><title>Customer Service Lessons Learned In The Wake Of Hurricane Harvey</title><meta charset="UTF-8"><meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"><link rel="canonical" itemprop="url" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/09/26/customer-service-lessons-learned-in-the-wake-of-hurricane-harvey/"><script>!function(e){function n(r){if(t[r])return t[r].exports;var o=t[r]={i:r,l:!1,exports:{}};return e[r].call(o.exports,o,o.exports,n),o.l=!0,o.exports}var r=window.webpackJsonp;window.webpackJsonp=function(t,c,a){for(var i,u,f,s=0,d=[];s<t.length;s++)u=t[s],o[u]&&d.push(o[u][0]),o[u]=0;for(i in c)Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(c,i)&&(e[i]=c[i]);for(r&&r(t,c,a);d.length;)d.shift()();if(a)for(s=0;s<a.length;s++)f=n(n.s=a[s]);return f};var t={},o={6:0};n.e=function(e){function 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<!----><h1 _ngcontent-c15="" class="fs-headline speakable-headline">Customer Service Lessons Learned In The Wake Of Hurricane Harvey</h1>

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	<p _ngcontent-c18="" class="intro fs-text-xxs">Post written by</p>
	<p _ngcontent-c18="" class="name fs-text-m">Danny Gavin</p>
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<p _ngcontent-c18="" class="bio fs-text-xs fs-responsive-text" innerhtml="VP, Director of Marketing at <a href=&quot;http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;>Brian Gavin Diamonds</a>, overseeing the company's global marketing efforts and e-commerce tech &amp;amp; development">VP, Director of Marketing at <a href="http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/" target="_blank">Brian Gavin Diamonds</a>, overseeing the company's global marketing efforts and e-commerce tech &amp; development</p>
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	<span _ngcontent-c19="" class="name-desc">
		<span _ngcontent-c19="" class="user fs-text-s">Danny Gavin</span>

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 <div class=&quot;article-body-image&quot;> 
  <progressive-image class=&quot;progressive-placeholder&quot; src=&quot;https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F843835180%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale&quot; low-res-src=&quot;https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/100x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F843835180%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale&quot;></progressive-image> 
 </div> 
 <div article-image-caption=&quot;&quot;> 
  <div class=&quot;caption-container&quot; ng-class=&quot;caption_state&quot;> 
   <fbs-accordion current=&quot;0&quot;> 
    <p class=&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;>RICHWOOD, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Floodwaters surround homes on September 7, 2017 in Richwood, Texas. Over a week after Hurricane Harvey hit Southern Texas, residents are beginning the long process of recovering from the storm. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)</p> 
   </fbs-accordion> 
  </div> 
 </div> 
</div>
<p>Hurricanes and customer service: How are they related? I used to think not at all. But as a Houstonian and the vice president of Brian Gavin Diamonds, the link between these two concepts recently became abundantly clear.</p>
<p>On August 25, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, roared into Texas. It brought unprecedented amounts of rain and catastrophic flooding. During the storm, my focus was on keeping my family safe. In the aftermath, my attention turned to helping our neighbors and fellow citizens who were affected by the storm.</p>
<p>As a business owner, the hurricane signified the potential for property destruction. It also meant that local sales would undoubtedly slow after the storm as customers slowly rebuilt their lives.</p>
<p>Yet I never thought that this might be an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to customer service while learning several invaluable lessons in the process.</p>
<p> 
 </p>
<p><strong>Treat your employees well.</strong></p>
<p>On the Monday when the hurricane loomed over Houston, what would have been a normal business day was anything but. With high water and debris on the roads, it was simply too dangerous for our employees to travel to work. Their safety has always been a paramount concern in our business. That’s why we asked all of our staff to stay home for a few days.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if our staff were not adversely affected by the storm and had access to the internet, they were encouraged to work from home -- but not obligated to do so. Often, the prospect of work is actually welcoming if you’ve been housebound for a few days. Fortunately, many of our employees could work from home.</p>
<div class=&quot;vestpocket&quot; vest-pocket=&quot;&quot;></div>
<p>Treating employees well should be one of the cornerstones of business. Having happy customers means having a happy and engaged staff. A positive customer service experience begins with a content and valued group of employees.</p>
<p><strong>Focus on creating an amazing customer service experience.</strong></p>
<p>&quot;Create an unforgettable customer experience&quot; may sound like a cliché, but this is our golden rule. Despite waist-high water and treacherous conditions, we had several international orders that needed to be shipped the Wednesday after Harvey hit. FedEx and UPS had ceased operations around the Houston area during the storm, but our CEO Brian Gavin was determined to deliver an outstanding customer service experience. That’s why he drove with the packages in hand to the nearest FedEx store that was open: College Station. The standard three-hour round trip ended up taking five hours.</p>
<div style=&quot;padding: 20px 0pt;margin: 20px 0pt;border-bottom: 1px solid #DDDDDD;border-top: 1px solid #DDDDDD&quot;> 
 <a href=&quot;http://www.forbescommcouncil.com/qualify/?source=forbes-text&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;>Forbes Communications Council</a> is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. 
 <em><strong><a href=&quot;http://www.forbescommcouncil.com/qualify/?source=forbes-text&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;>Do I qualify?</a></strong></em> 
</div>
<p>Great customer service begins at the top of the company with the CEO. Then you have to define it, disseminate it to your employees and lead by example. That’s exactly what Brian did during the hurricane. Understand that creating an amazing customer service experience is more important than the bottom line because without it there is no customer.</p>"><div id="attachment_843835180" class="wp-caption alignnone"> 
 <div class="article-body-image"> 
  <progressive-image class="progressive-placeholder" src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F843835180%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale" low-res-src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/100x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F843835180%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale"></progressive-image> 
 </div> 
 <div article-image-caption=""> 
  <div class="caption-container" ng-class="caption_state"> 
   <fbs-accordion current="0"> 
    <p class="wp-caption-text">RICHWOOD, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Floodwaters surround homes on September 7, 2017 in Richwood, Texas. Over a week after Hurricane Harvey hit Southern Texas, residents are beginning the long process of recovering from the storm. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)</p> 
   </fbs-accordion> 
  </div> 
 </div> 
</div>
<p class="speakable-paragraph">Hurricanes and customer service: How are they related? I used to think not at all. But as a Houstonian and the vice president of Brian Gavin Diamonds, the link between these two concepts recently became abundantly clear.</p>
<p>On August 25, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, roared into Texas. It brought unprecedented amounts of rain and catastrophic flooding. During the storm, my focus was on keeping my family safe. In the aftermath, my attention turned to helping our neighbors and fellow citizens who were affected by the storm.</p>
<p>As a business owner, the hurricane signified the potential for property destruction. It also meant that local sales would undoubtedly slow after the storm as customers slowly rebuilt their lives.</p>
<p>Yet I never thought that this might be an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to customer service while learning several invaluable lessons in the process.</p>
<p> 
 </p>
<p><strong>Treat your employees well.</strong></p>
<p>On the Monday when the hurricane loomed over Houston, what would have been a normal business day was anything but. With high water and debris on the roads, it was simply too dangerous for our employees to travel to work. Their safety has always been a paramount concern in our business. That’s why we asked all of our staff to stay home for a few days.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if our staff were not adversely affected by the storm and had access to the internet, they were encouraged to work from home -- but not obligated to do so. Often, the prospect of work is actually welcoming if you’ve been housebound for a few days. Fortunately, many of our employees could work from home.</p>
<div class="vestpocket" vest-pocket=""></div>
<p>Treating employees well should be one of the cornerstones of business. Having happy customers means having a happy and engaged staff. A positive customer service experience begins with a content and valued group of employees.</p>
<p><strong>Focus on creating an amazing customer service experience.</strong></p>
<p>"Create an unforgettable customer experience" may sound like a cliché, but this is our golden rule. Despite waist-high water and treacherous conditions, we had several international orders that needed to be shipped the Wednesday after Harvey hit. FedEx and UPS had ceased operations around the Houston area during the storm, but our CEO Brian Gavin was determined to deliver an outstanding customer service experience. That’s why he drove with the packages in hand to the nearest FedEx store that was open: College Station. The standard three-hour round trip ended up taking five hours.</p>
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<p>Great customer service begins at the top of the company with the CEO. Then you have to define it, disseminate it to your employees and lead by example. That’s exactly what Brian did during the hurricane. Understand that creating an amazing customer service experience is more important than the bottom line because without it there is no customer.</p></div>
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	</app-root><script id="ng-templates-state" type="application/json">{&q;environmentName&q;:&q;prod&q;,&q;is_mobile&q;:false,&q;/forbesapi/content/uri.json?shortcodes=true&a;slides=true&a;type=ng&a;tickers=true&a;bvallpages=true&a;autovpslider=true&a;stream=true&a;compressimages=true&a;mobile=false&a;prgsmobileads=false&a;relativeVideo=true&a;videoplayertype=brightcove_perform_with_keyvalues&a;swimlane=&a;uri=http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/09/26/customer-service-lessons-learned-in-the-wake-of-hurricane-harvey/&q;:{&q;content&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;content_59c5187464aaf90dc3a68f5b&q;,&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAndPostId/blog/post/4254-3191&q;,&q;source&q;:&q;blogs&q;,&q;author&q;:&q;Danny Gavin&q;,&q;title&q;:&q;Customer Service Lessons Learned In The Wake Of Hurricane Harvey&q;,&q;date&q;:1506425400000,&q;body&q;:&q;&l;p&g;[caption id=\&q;attachment_843835180\&q; photocredit=\&q;\&q;  align=\&q;\&q; width=\&q;960\&q;]&l;img class=\&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-843835180\&q; src=\&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/843835180/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\&q; data-height=\&q;636\&q; data-width=\&q;960\&q;&g; RICHWOOD, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Floodwaters surround homes on September 7, 2017 in Richwood, Texas. Over a week after Hurricane Harvey hit Southern Texas, residents are beginning the long process of recovering from the storm. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)[/caption]\r\n\r\nHurricanes and customer service: How are they related? I used to think not at all. But as a Houstonian and the vice president of Brian Gavin Diamonds, the link between these two concepts recently became abundantly clear.\r\n\r\nOn August 25, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, roared into Texas. It brought unprecedented amounts of rain and catastrophic flooding. During the storm, my focus was on keeping my family safe. In the aftermath, my attention turned to helping our neighbors and fellow citizens who were affected by the storm.\r\n\r\nAs a business owner, the hurricane signified the potential for property destruction. It also meant that local sales would undoubtedly slow after the storm as customers slowly rebuilt their lives.\r\n\r\nYet I never thought that this might be an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to customer service while learning several invaluable lessons in the process.\r\n\r\n&l;strong&g;Treat your employees well.&l;/strong&g;\r\n\r\nOn the Monday when the hurricane loomed over Houston, what would have been a normal business day was anything but. With high water and debris on the roads, it was simply too dangerous for our employees to travel to work. Their safety has always been a paramount concern in our business. That&a;rsquo;s why we asked all of our staff to stay home for a few days.\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, if our staff were not adversely affected by the storm and had access to the internet, they were encouraged to work from home -- but not obligated to do so. Often, the prospect of work is actually welcoming if you&a;rsquo;ve been housebound for a few days. Fortunately, many of our employees could work from home.\r\n\r\nTreating employees well should be one of the cornerstones of business. Having happy customers means having a happy and engaged staff. A positive customer service experience begins with a content and valued group of employees.\r\n\r\n&l;strong&g;Focus on creating an amazing customer service experience.&l;/strong&g;\r\n\r\n\&q;Create an unforgettable customer experience\&q; may sound like a clich&a;eacute;, but this is our golden rule. Despite waist-high water and treacherous conditions, we had several international orders that needed to be shipped the Wednesday after Harvey hit. FedEx and UPS had ceased operations around the Houston area during the storm, but our CEO Brian Gavin was determined to deliver an outstanding customer service experience. That&a;rsquo;s why he drove with the packages in hand to the nearest FedEx store that was open: College Station. The standard three-hour round trip ended up taking five hours.\r\n&l;/p&g;&l;div style=\&q;padding: 20px 0pt;margin: 20px 0pt;border-bottom: 1px solid #DDDDDD;border-top: 1px solid #DDDDDD\&q;&g;&l;a href=\&q;http://www.forbescommcouncil.com/qualify/?source=forbes-text\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;Forbes Communications Council&l;/a&g; is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. &l;em&g;&l;strong&g;&l;a href=\&q;http://www.forbescommcouncil.com/qualify/?source=forbes-text\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;Do I qualify?&l;/a&g;&l;/strong&g;&l;/em&g;&l;/div&g;\r\nGreat customer service begins at the top of the company with the CEO. Then you have to define it, disseminate it to your employees and lead by example. That&a;rsquo;s exactly what Brian did during the hurricane. Understand that creating an amazing customer service experience is more important than the bottom line because without it there is no customer.\r\n\r\n&l;!--nextpage--&g;\r\n\r\n&l;strong&g; Don&a;rsquo;t underestimate the power of word of mouth.&l;/strong&g;\r\n\r\nAs the water receded and the cleanup along the Gulf Coast began, I, like many Houstonians, was focused on getting things back to normal. Though our physical offices were not damaged during the hurricane, many of the roads were still flooded. I was anxious to return to my work routine and reopen our offices. I had forgotten about our CEO&s;s mid-storm deliveries of the previous week until I saw a review online about one of those deliveries:\r\n\r\n\&q;These folks are the finest in their business! The diamond rings arrived exactly on the day they had been promised. Sound easy? Not in this case. The management and staff at BGD had to contend with the chaos of Hurricane Harvey; they went above and beyond to get the rings out of Houston and into our hands!\&q;\r\n\r\nIn an age of social media, your current and future customers are everywhere. With that in mind, it&a;rsquo;s critical that you handle challenging situations in a positive way. The delivery of those wedding bands left an indelible impression on the customer. Making an impression will help you retain customers long-term, and they will spread the word about their unique experience with your business. Additionally, online reviews will be read by many potential customers and could generate even more business.\r\n\r\n&l;strong&g;Remember the importance of customer service.&l;/strong&g;\r\n\r\nIt has been a few weeks since Hurricane Harvey unleashed itself on Houston. In that time, many of us along the Gulf Coast have learned a number of invaluable lessons. For me, the hurricane highlighted several critical customer service lessons. As the long-term recovery process marches on, I will never forget the impact this storm had on me and my understanding of customer service.&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;Committing to customer service, even in challenging circumstances, will win you dedicated brand advocates.&q;,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/forbescommunicationscouncil/files/2017/09/Hurricane-Harvey-500x500.jpg&q;,&q;type&q;:&q;blog&q;,&q;storyType&q;:&q;post&q;,&q;uri&q;:&q;http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/09/26/customer-service-lessons-learned-in-the-wake-of-hurricane-harvey/&q;,&q;comments&q;:[],&q;visible&q;:true,&q;authors&q;:[{&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/3157252&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Danny Gavin&q;,&q;avatars&q;:[{&q;size&q;:400,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/forbescommunicationscouncil/files/2017/09/dannygavin_avatar_1506021443.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:136,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/forbescommunicationscouncil/files/2017/09/dannygavin_avatar_1506021443-136x136.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:62,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/forbescommunicationscouncil/files/2017/09/dannygavin_avatar_1506021443-62x62.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:40,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/forbescommunicationscouncil/files/2017/09/dannygavin_avatar_1506021443-40x40.jpg&q;}],&q;url&q;:&q;http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/&q;,&q;type&q;:&q;CommunityVoice&q;,&q;profileUrl&q;:&q;/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/people/dannygavin/&q;,&q;twitterName&q;:&q;dannygavin&q;,&q;authorType&q;:&q;comm&q;,&q;linkedIn&q;:&q;https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannygavin/&q;,&q;email&q;:&q;dannygavin@community.co&q;,&q;tagName&q;:&q;Communications, PR, public affairs &a; media relations execs share tips.&q;,&q;blog&q;:false,&q;timestamp&q;:1511554116666,&q;webSite&q;:&q;http://www.briangavindiamonds.com&q;,&q;blogName&q;:&q;Forbes Communications Council&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;VP, Director of Marketing at Brian Gavin Diamonds, overseeing the company&s;s global marketing efforts and e-commerce technology &a;amp; development.&q;,&q;advoiceBrand&q;:&q;Community&q;,&q;primaryBlogNaturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/blog-4254&q;,&q;shortUri&q;:&q;http://bit.ly/1WqmmpH&q;,&q;displayChannel&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;contributorSince&q;:1506035710000,&q;slug&q;:&q;forbescommunicationscouncil&q;,&q;showNoVestPocket&q;:false,&q;embargo&q;:false,&q;primaryChannelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;enableContribContact&q;:false,&q;enableTwitterFeed&q;:false,&q;disableCanonical&q;:false,&q;disableDigest&q;:false,&q;forbesTwitterProfile&q;:{&q;screenName&q;:&q;DannyGavin&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Danny Gavin&q;,&q;profileImageUrl&q;:&q;http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/553044385617559552/GIrPt3jD.jpeg&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;Digital Marketing Chief Strategist &a; Founder @Optidge. VP &a; Director of Marketing, @BrianGavin Diamonds. SEM + Social Prof @UHBauerCollege. @Forbes Contributor.&q;,&q;createdDate&q;:1244063585000,&q;location&q;:&q;Houston, TX&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;https://t.co/A1L8ioS9po&q;,&q;expandedUrl&q;:&q;http://www.linkedin.com/in/dannygavin&q;,&q;displayUrl&q;:&q;linkedin.com/in/dannygavin&q;,&q;verified&q;:false},&q;bylineFormat&q;:3,&q;inactive&q;:false,&q;primaryChannel&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelName&q;:&q;Business&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;/business&q;,&q;shortName&q;:&q;Business&q;},&q;allowEmail&q;:false,&q;avatar_map&q;:{}},{&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/blog-4254&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Forbes Communications Council&q;,&q;avatars&q;:[{&q;size&q;:400,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/assets/images/avatars/blog-4254_400_3df8fcdef6c1eacbc5f29bcfc396a2d3.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:136,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/assets/images/avatars/blog-4254_136_3df8fcdef6c1eacbc5f29bcfc396a2d3.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:62,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/assets/images/avatars/blog-4254_62_3df8fcdef6c1eacbc5f29bcfc396a2d3.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:40,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/assets/images/avatars/blog-4254_40_3df8fcdef6c1eacbc5f29bcfc396a2d3.jpg&q;}],&q;url&q;:&q;http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/&q;,&q;type&q;:&q;CommunityVoice&q;,&q;profileUrl&q;:&q;https://blogs.forbes.com/forbescommunicationscouncil/profile/&q;,&q;twitterName&q;:&q;ForbesCommCncl&q;,&q;authorType&q;:&q;comm&q;,&q;linkedIn&q;:&q;https://www.linkedin.com/company/forbescommcouncil/&q;,&q;tagName&q;:&q;Communications, PR, public affairs &a; media relations execs share tips.&q;,&q;blog&q;:true,&q;timestamp&q;:1518818399855,&q;webSite&q;:&q;https://forbescommcouncil.com/?utm_source=forbes&a;utm_medium=home&q;,&q;authors&q;:[&q;3215955&q;,&q;3215762&q;,&q;3328479&q;,&q;3318385&q;,&q;3254444&q;,&q;3335482&q;,&q;3122531&q;,&q;3145826&q;,&q;3175570&q;,&q;3318630&q;,&q;3218823&q;,&q;3135399&q;,&q;3267464&q;,&q;3318323&q;,&q;3164502&q;,&q;3164537&q;,&q;3164463&q;,&q;3269185&q;,&q;3229385&q;,&q;3145769&q;,&q;3111373&q;,&q;3198420&q;,&q;3237507&q;,&q;3322935&q;,&q;3301377&q;,&q;3164478&q;,&q;3326579&q;,&q;3329996&q;,&q;3158272&q;,&q;3181863&q;,&q;3155005&q;,&q;3124874&q;,&q;3122471&q;,&q;3173767&q;,&q;3318356&q;,&q;3308405&q;,&q;3183194&q;,&q;3244738&q;,&q;3111758&q;,&q;3301361&q;,&q;3168053&q;,&q;3135468&q;,&q;3157252&q;,&q;3326795&q;,&q;3245968&q;,&q;3157205&q;,&q;3121130&q;,&q;3273622&q;,&q;3304112&q;,&q;3237483&q;,&q;3304131&q;,&q;3245955&q;,&q;3213883&q;,&q;3186949&q;,&q;3181826&q;,&q;1968575&q;,&q;3113386&q;,&q;3192568&q;,&q;3215939&q;,&q;3155125&q;,&q;3255898&q;,&q;3202733&q;,&q;3186995&q;,&q;3122417&q;,&q;3135373&q;,&q;3279521&q;,&q;3241989&q;,&q;3295128&q;,&q;3202457&q;,&q;3163374&q;,&q;3210022&q;,&q;3192574&q;,&q;3244865&q;,&q;3173773&q;,&q;3309545&q;,&q;3198439&q;,&q;3173736&q;,&q;3121147&q;,&q;3164912&q;,&q;3328521&q;,&q;3241837&q;,&q;3287030&q;,&q;3122366&q;,&q;3135435&q;,&q;3329489&q;,&q;3295239&q;,&q;3166407&q;,&q;3111657&q;,&q;3241982&q;,&q;3111481&q;,&q;3310980&q;,&q;3239456&q;,&q;3194736&q;,&q;3239479&q;,&q;3198464&q;,&q;3158310&q;,&q;3235762&q;,&q;3331014&q;,&q;3121050&q;,&q;3164612&q;,&q;3145882&q;,&q;3215894&q;,&q;3158227&q;,&q;3329856&q;,&q;3309523&q;,&q;3263455&q;,&q;3175721&q;,&q;3224638&q;,&q;3276294&q;,&q;3326852&q;,&q;3111574&q;,&q;3157224&q;,&q;3264843&q;,&q;3111608&q;,&q;3245921&q;,&q;3121097&q;,&q;3155041&q;,&q;3257497&q;,&q;3273222&q;,&q;3188625&q;,&q;3224653&q;,&q;3303241&q;,&q;3273641&q;,&q;3257526&q;,&q;3145788&q;,&q;3111669&q;,&q;3336262&q;,&q;3276260&q;,&q;3156783&q;,&q;3263430&q;,&q;3287052&q;,&q;3322945&q;,&q;3308412&q;,&q;3166379&q;,&q;3312627&q;,&q;3135306&q;,&q;3121163&q;,&q;3183159&q;,&q;3155062&q;,&q;3183131&q;,&q;3329491&q;,&q;3257476&q;,&q;3166513&q;,&q;3276238&q;,&q;3282510&q;,&q;3145902&q;,&q;3249583&q;,&q;3111543&q;,&q;3288097&q;,&q;3145891&q;,&q;3157272&q;,&q;3188656&q;,&q;3186972&q;,&q;3329490&q;,&q;3279354&q;,&q;3329730&q;,&q;3168081&q;,&q;3173710&q;,&q;3235721&q;,&q;3135343&q;,&q;3181985&q;,&q;3135325&q;,&q;3331404&q;,&q;3336279&q;,&q;3196959&q;,&q;3264821&q;,&q;3326737&q;,&q;3288076&q;,&q;3331408&q;,&q;3111516&q;,&q;3166486&q;,&q;3181961&q;,&q;3253010&q;,&q;3288336&q;,&q;3145865&q;,&q;3318616&q;,&q;3175613&q;,&q;3326756&q;,&q;3336281&q;,&q;3166456&q;,&q;3158326&q;,&q;3336284&q;],&q;description&q;:&q;Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization for communications, public relations, public affairs and media relations professionals. Find out if you qualify at forbescommcouncil.com/qualify.&q;,&q;advoiceBrand&q;:&q;Community&q;,&q;primaryBlogNaturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/blog-4254&q;,&q;primaryContributor&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/false&q;,&q;primaryContributorData&q;:{&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/false&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;user deleted&q;,&q;avatars&q;:[{&q;size&q;:136,&q;image&q;:&q;http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/?s=136&a;#038;d=mm&a;#038;r=g&q;},{&q;size&q;:40,&q;image&q;:&q;http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/?s=40&a;#038;d=mm&a;#038;r=g&q;},{&q;size&q;:400,&q;image&q;:&q;http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/?s=400&a;#038;d=mm&a;#038;r=g&q;},{&q;size&q;:62,&q;image&q;:&q;http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/?s=62&a;#038;d=mm&a;#038;r=g&q;}],&q;blog&q;:false,&q;description&q;:&q;Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only organization for communications, public relations, public affairs and media relations professionals. 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Part of the @ForbesCouncils community network.&q;,&q;createdDate&q;:1443032154000,&q;location&q;:&q;&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;https://t.co/anxdx90qvZ&q;,&q;expandedUrl&q;:&q;http://forbescommcouncil.com&q;,&q;displayUrl&q;:&q;forbescommcouncil.com&q;,&q;verified&q;:false},&q;bylineFormat&q;:1,&q;inactive&q;:false,&q;primaryChannel&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelName&q;:&q;Business&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;/business&q;,&q;shortName&q;:&q;Business&q;},&q;allowEmail&q;:false,&q;avatar_map&q;:{}}],&q;channelSection&q;:[{&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;}],&q;slug&q;:&q;Forbes Communications Council&q;,&q;blogType&q;:&q;comm&q;,&q;sitePage&q;:&q;forbes.com/business/blogs/forbescommunicationscouncil/index.html&q;,&q;displayChannel&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;vestPocketList&q;:[{&q;type&q;:&q;slide&q;,&q;uri&q;:&q;https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/1-detroit/&q;,&q;image&q;:&q;http://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/026M72T8ElbzS/&q;,&q;title&q;:&q;The 10 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities&q;,&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAndSlideId/blog/slide/986-6336&q;,&q;count&q;:35033,&q;reason&q;:&q;MP-G&q;},{&q;type&q;:&q;blogslide&q;,&q;uri&q;:&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/02/16/black-panther-breaks-its-first-box-office-records-with-25-2m-thursday/&q;,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/scottmendelson/files/2018/01/MV5BMjA5MjA0MjMwMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTUyNTQ5MjI@._V1_SX1500_CR001500999_AL_-1200x799.jpg&q;,&q;title&q;:&q;Box Office: &s;Black Panther&s; Roars With Record-Breaking $25.2M Thursday&q;,&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAndPostId/blog/post/2595-47794&q;,&q;count&q;:216128,&q;reason&q;:&q;PV-D&q;}],&q;generatedId&q;:&q;hfih45geme&q;,&q;manualDescription&q;:&q;Committing to customer service, even in challenging circumstances, will win you dedicated brand advocates.&q;,&q;primaryChannelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;vestPocketPosition&q;:6,&q;siteSlug&q;:&q;forbescommunicationscouncil&q;,&q;preview&q;:false,&q;showComments&q;:true,&q;timestamp&q;:1506425512896,&q;statsEntities&q;:[{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Disaster_Accident&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Weather&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Business_Finance&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Customer experience&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Atlantic hurricane season&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Hurricane Harvey&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Customer service&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Geography of the United States&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Air Freight &a; 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target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;Brian Gavin Diamonds&l;/a&g;, overseeing the company&s;s global marketing efforts and e-commerce tech &a;amp; development&q;,&q;position&q;:&q;top&q;,&q;type&q;:&q;post&q;},&q;primaryChannel&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelName&q;:&q;Business&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;/business&q;,&q;shortName&q;:&q;Business&q;},&q;pages&q;:[&q;&l;div id=\&q;attachment_843835180\&q; class=\&q;wp-caption alignnone\&q;&g; \n &l;div class=\&q;article-body-image\&q;&g; \n  &l;img class=\&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-843835180\&q; src=\&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/843835180/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\&q; data-height=\&q;636\&q; data-width=\&q;960\&q; /&g; \n &l;/div&g; \n &l;div article-image-caption=\&q;\&q;&g; \n  &l;div class=\&q;caption-container\&q; ng-class=\&q;caption_state\&q;&g; \n   &l;fbs-accordion current=\&q;0\&q;&g; \n    &l;p class=\&q;wp-caption-text\&q;&g;RICHWOOD, TX - SEPTEMBER 07: Floodwaters surround homes on September 7, 2017 in Richwood, Texas. Over a week after Hurricane Harvey hit Southern Texas, residents are beginning the long process of recovering from the storm. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)&l;/p&g; \n   &l;/fbs-accordion&g; \n  &l;/div&g; \n &l;/div&g; \n&l;/div&g;\n&l;p&g;Hurricanes and customer service: How are they related? I used to think not at all. But as a Houstonian and the vice president of Brian Gavin Diamonds, the link between these two concepts recently became abundantly clear.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;On August 25, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, roared into Texas. It brought unprecedented amounts of rain and catastrophic flooding. During the storm, my focus was on keeping my family safe. In the aftermath, my attention turned to helping our neighbors and fellow citizens who were affected by the storm.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;As a business owner, the hurricane signified the potential for property destruction. It also meant that local sales would undoubtedly slow after the storm as customers slowly rebuilt their lives.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;Yet I never thought that this might be an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to customer service while learning several invaluable lessons in the process.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g; \n &l;fbs-ad position=\&q;inread\&q; progressive=\&q;\&q;&g;&l;/fbs-ad&g;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;&l;strong&g;Treat your employees well.&l;/strong&g;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;On the Monday when the hurricane loomed over Houston, what would have been a normal business day was anything but. With high water and debris on the roads, it was simply too dangerous for our employees to travel to work. Their safety has always been a paramount concern in our business. That’s why we asked all of our staff to stay home for a few days.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;In the meantime, if our staff were not adversely affected by the storm and had access to the internet, they were encouraged to work from home -- but not obligated to do so. Often, the prospect of work is actually welcoming if you’ve been housebound for a few days. Fortunately, many of our employees could work from home.&l;/p&g;\n&l;div class=\&q;vestpocket\&q; vest-pocket=\&q;\&q;&g;&l;/div&g;\n&l;p&g;Treating employees well should be one of the cornerstones of business. Having happy customers means having a happy and engaged staff. A positive customer service experience begins with a content and valued group of employees.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;&l;strong&g;Focus on creating an amazing customer service experience.&l;/strong&g;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;&a;quot;Create an unforgettable customer experience&a;quot; may sound like a clich&a;eacute;, but this is our golden rule. Despite waist-high water and treacherous conditions, we had several international orders that needed to be shipped the Wednesday after Harvey hit. FedEx and UPS had ceased operations around the Houston area during the storm, but our CEO Brian Gavin was determined to deliver an outstanding customer service experience. That’s why he drove with the packages in hand to the nearest FedEx store that was open: College Station. The standard three-hour round trip ended up taking five hours.&l;/p&g;\n&l;div style=\&q;padding: 20px 0pt;margin: 20px 0pt;border-bottom: 1px solid #DDDDDD;border-top: 1px solid #DDDDDD\&q;&g; \n &l;a href=\&q;http://www.forbescommcouncil.com/qualify/?source=forbes-text\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;Forbes Communications Council&l;/a&g; is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. \n &l;em&g;&l;strong&g;&l;a href=\&q;http://www.forbescommcouncil.com/qualify/?source=forbes-text\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;Do I qualify?&l;/a&g;&l;/strong&g;&l;/em&g; \n&l;/div&g;\n&l;p&g;Great customer service begins at the top of the company with the CEO. Then you have to define it, disseminate it to your employees and lead by example. That’s exactly what Brian did during the hurricane. Understand that creating an amazing customer service experience is more important than the bottom line because without it there is no customer.&l;/p&g;&q;,&q;&l;p&g;&l;strong&g; Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth.&l;/strong&g;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;As the water receded and the cleanup along the Gulf Coast began, I, like many Houstonians, was focused on getting things back to normal. Though our physical offices were not damaged during the hurricane, many of the roads were still flooded. I was anxious to return to my work routine and reopen our offices. I had forgotten about our CEO&s;s mid-storm deliveries of the previous week until I saw a review online about one of those deliveries:&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;&a;quot;These folks are the finest in their business! The diamond rings arrived exactly on the day they had been promised. Sound easy? Not in this case. The management and staff at BGD had to contend with the chaos of Hurricane Harvey; they went above and beyond to get the rings out of Houston and into our hands!&a;quot;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;In an age of social media, your current and future customers are everywhere. With that in mind, it’s critical that you handle challenging situations in a positive way. The delivery of those wedding bands left an indelible impression on the customer. Making an impression will help you retain customers long-term, and they will spread the word about their unique experience with your business. Additionally, online reviews will be read by many potential customers and could generate even more business.&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g; \n &l;fbs-ad position=\&q;inread\&q; progressive=\&q;\&q;&g;&l;/fbs-ad&g;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;&l;strong&g;Remember the importance of customer service.&l;/strong&g;&l;/p&g;\n&l;p&g;It has been a few weeks since Hurricane Harvey unleashed itself on Houston. In that time, many of us along the Gulf Coast have learned a number of invaluable lessons. For me, the hurricane highlighted several critical customer service lessons. 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