Service Before the Sale

I’ve heard more than one dealer (in various industries) make the statement that if someone buys something from a big box store, they’d better not come to this dealer for service.  It’s not an unreasonable thing to say.  After all, the big box made the sale (and the profit), they should handle the problems.  Why should I help them by helping their customer?

Seth Godin answers that question in his post, A Friend in Need.

The past is past.  There’s nothing we can do about it except start working on the next sale.  Customers expect service after the sale.  Service before the sale will make them say "WOW!"  Isn’t that what we’re really looking for?