In a world shaped by experience, it's the small moments that often reveal what exceptional customer service truly looks like. This is a personal story—not from a Fortune 500 company or a tech disruptor, but from a simple bookstall and a beloved childhood publisher. Yet, it delivers timeless lessons in proactive service, seamless collaboration, and ownership —core values that define great customer experience (CX).
While passing through Cochin International Airport, I noticed a book that instantly brought back memories—an Amar Chitra Katha title. For many of us who grew up in India, these illustrated tales weren’t just comics—they were portals to our mythology, heritage, and imagination.
It was a spontaneous purchase that filled me with nostalgia. But later, I discovered a printing defect. It wasn’t a major flaw, but it was unexpected—especially from a publisher that had been part of my childhood. What followed, however, turned this disappointment into a case study in CX done right.
The Bookstore’s Proactive Response
I sent a quick email to the Mathrubhumi Bookstall at CIAL, expecting a polite redirect to the publisher. Instead, they took charge. Even though they didn’t have a replacement copy, they proactively reached out to the publisher, advocating on my behalf. No escalation. No buck-passing. Just simple, meaningful ownership. It was the kind of initiative we often wish for, but rarely receive.
The Publisher’s Empathetic Resolution
Shortly after, Mr. Shanavas S. from Amar Chitra Katha reached out. While their usual process involves handling replacements through retail outlets, they chose to make an exception and shipped a new copy directly to me—unasked. But here’s what stood out: they followed up to ensure it reached me. That final act of closing the loop is often the most undervalued step in customer service—and yet it’s the one that left the deepest impression.
What This Means for CX Leaders This real-world story offers critical takeaways for enterprises serious about building trust and long-term customer relationships:
- Proactive service builds confidence before frustration escalates.
- Seamless collaboration between ecosystem partners improves resolution speed and quality.
- Ownership across the journey —even when the issue doesn’t lie with you—turns customers into loyal advocates.
- Following up is the differentiator between service delivered and experience remembered.
At VirtuaQ, we believe these are not soft skills—they are design principles. We help enterprises hardwire this mindset into their customer journeys through intelligent orchestration, automation, and contextual engagement. Because exceptional CX isn’t about policy—it’s about people.
Let’s turn your service touchpoints into moments of trust. Explore how VirtuaQ’s customer journey orchestration platform helps organizations proactively resolve, intelligently collaborate, and drive customer satisfaction at scale.