With its 12,000 employees and nearly 5.4 million customers in 50 states, Safelite AutoGlass is the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services. Underlying the brand’s success is a focus on premier customer service, reflected in its “People Powered, Customer Driven” strategy.

Convero spoke with Renee Cacchillo, Safelite’s senior vice president of customer, brand and technology, to learn more about the company’s service philosophy and how it impacts business growth.

Convero: If a customer is describing Safelite to a friend, what do you think (or hope) the person says?

We want customers to think that we made the process of vehicle glass repair or replacement easy for them. From our online schedule to working with insurance companies to our people, it should be a smooth process.

Convero: What rules guide your customer service philosophy? What do you expect of employees in every customer encounter?

First is a service mindset — going out of our way to help solve problems and make the customer’s day better. Employees also need to have a can-do attitude, finding creative ways to get the job done and to go above and beyond the expected, and it takes a caring heart. That means genuinely caring about people, treating each other like family and having the courage to do the right thing, always.

Convero: How does your customer service philosophy help you grow?

The majority of people only have auto glass damage once in their lifetimes, so word-of-mouth referrals are key. To earn referrals – or the potential of repeat customers – customer loyalty at Safelite means a couple of things. Did we deliver a service so great that you’ll remember us enough to return if you do experience damage a second time? And was it great enough to refer us to someone else who’s experienced damage? It’s not enough to only meet customer expectations – we must wow them.