I’ve been in the middle of a network migration transitioning back to using Cisco networking products so I could regain control of my LAN (my ISP was in control over my LAN, and the experience wasn’t pleasant to say the least).
I recently ordered a handful of Ethernet cables from Cables and Kits. I’ve ordered Ethernet cables with them in the past. I’ve always liked their Ethernet cables. They’re solid performers at great prices (I am changing out all of my Ethernet cables so I can start fresh with the hardware changes I’m making). Cables and Kits packaged the shipment well, including some nice perks such as a free mousepad and some chocolate candy and some other Cables and Kits-branded freebies. They also shipped out my order quickly. I was pleased with the experience.
The other week I happened to receive an email from their CEO (Craig Haynie) who has recently started a newsletter with daily updates concerning the Coronavirus. He also features testimonials from customers, as well as shows how Cables and Kits is responding to the Coronavirus by assisting customers with their needs and even going the extra mile by manufacturing safety supplies. Some of the daily newsletter content from customers has been uplifting and inspirational. It refreshed my soul just to read some of the content from customers the CEO was sharing.
In the initial email I received, Craig also said if Cables and Kits customers need anything, and he repeated anything, just reply to the email and ask. So I replied to the CEO email to take him up on his offer. I wanted to see if Cables and Kits CEO was serious about responding to customers to who asked him anything. I asked him the most basic, mediocre need I could ask him.
My Cisco RV345 was missing a screw on the bottom (it must have fallen out at one time and went missing, and with recent office renovations, it was likely long gone). I know that Cables and Kits offers replacement screw kits, so I emailed Craig and asked him if Cables and Kits has the replacement screw I was looking for. Yes, One. Single. Screw. I promptly received an email from Craig who told me take a picture of the screw, send it to him, and he would attempt to locate one for me. It turns out, my RV345 needed to be completely replaced (the firmware on it suffered an error), so Cisco overnighted me a replacement RV345 (with two good screws on the bottom), so I wrote Craig back and let him know I was set.
Nevertheless, I’ll have to say, that’s customer service. To have the CEO of a company promptly respond to a customer with the most mundane question a customer could ever ask and offer to assist the customer with such a trivial question is the most top-notch customer service I have experienced with a company. It is clear that Craig Haynie and Cables and Kits care about their customers. I have been reading his daily newsletters and watching firsthand how a CEO is delivering excellent services to his customers and going the extra mile, especially during this pandemic. Cables and Kits has a customer in me for life. When I need networking hardware such as Ethernet cables and other odds and ends, I’ll definitely be turning to Cables and Kits. There are times when I am involved in network deployments or need to recommend networking hardware companies to others, and Cables and Kits is at the top of my list. Their customer service is unmatched in the industry, and their CEO is doing a fantastic job showing what real leadership looks like during this pandemic.
I will also take some of their Cables and Kits-branded gear down to my local computer repair shop when it opens again. The owner gets plenty of foot traffic with computer and iPhone repairs, so he can display some of the gear and give Cables and Kits some free advertising (he does this with a handful of brands). I also wanted to spread the word on AskWoody on the best place to purchase networking hardware.
During this pandemic, I have had the opportunity to spend time working with a handful of companies with top-notch customer service (Cables and Kits being one, Cisco being another, as well as a handful of other tech stores and app developers). One thing I have learned during this pandemic is how pleased I am of watching various organizations step up to the plate and provide excellent service to their customers during this pandemic (including the organization I work for). It is so refreshing and uplifting to watch organizations go the extra mile to care for their customers and continue offering solid customer service even with the impacts this pandemic has caused to remote working and business continuity. In the midst of such tragedy and sorrow, there is such an uplifting response from those organizations who continue to keep serving their customers no matter what obstacles are thrown their way.
Nathan Parker
