It costs a hell of a lot of money to get a loyal customer so you don't want to lose them to a competitor without very good reason.
My favourite story concerns a much younger Sir Tom Farmer of Kwik-Fit fame and I'll apologise for hte length and for taking this wildly off-topic, but it is one of my favourite yarns!. When the company was quite new and just had a few Scottish exhaust depots, he entered one in Edinburgh to find the manager having a row with a customer about a fault with his exhaust.
After the customer had gone, Tom turned to the manager and said "What was all that about?"
"Och! I told him yesterday he needed a complete new exhaust but he insisted on just having the back box changed. Today, his front pipe has gone and he's telling me it's my fault! No way am I giving him a front pipe for nothing!"
Tom looked at him and asked "How old is he?"
"I dunno - 21 or 22! Why?"
"What does he do?"
"Medical Student, I think. Why?"
"How much do you think he will spend on tyres and exhausts during his lifetime?"
"I'm flipped if I know or even care! Look what is this all leading up to?"
Tommy grabbed a calculator from the counter top, tapped in a few figures and said "At today's prices, he will spend about £30,000 - do you think he'll spend that with you?"
"No, but there's plenty more customers out there!"
Tom smiled, put his hand on the manager's shoulder and said "Of course I'll back you up if that's what you want. A new front pipe costs what - about £6.00 to the trade - I would say £6 against £30,000 is a pretty good return. Why not give the man a ring, tell him you don't accept it's your fault but as a goodwill gesture, you'll put a new front pipe on for him free of charge?"
That's what happened - the pipe was replaced to the customer's delight. That medical student becaame one of Edinburgh's top teaching surgeons and today, his entire family swear by Kwik-Fit and recommend the company to friends and colleagues. Sir Tom Farmer has long since retired, but he is one real gentleman and a character I learned to love while I worked for Kwik-Fit - a tough boss, but always fair and a shrewd businessman!
So - James 1077 - you have proved that not all bean-counters or abacus-rollers are bad!
Hope BA gets the message!