Anyone who has ever purchased merchandise from L.L. Bean is no doubt aware of this rock solid guarantee:

“Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory.... Of course, we want you to be the fair judge of quality. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase, we’ll replace it or give you your money back. It’s that simple”.

In my mind, this is the gold standard for how customers should be treated. I’m an L.L. Bean fan and have jackets, coats, fanny packs, and other outerwear that has never worn out. It should come as no surprise that L.L. Bean was just honored as being No. 1 in customer service by the National Retail Federation’s American Express Customers’ Choice survey. What is remarkable about L.L. Bean is that only rarely does one have to activate this guarantee, because merchandise from the company is first-class. If only other companies would adhere to this strong quality ethic. Let me give you an example of how some companies administer their own guarantees.

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