K’s kid has a Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar, most likely because K. is awesome. One of the pieces went missing, and she sent a quick “hey, how much would it cost to replace this thingy?” query on their website. She expected to hear back perhaps after the holiday toy rush. She didn’t expect to get a free replacement piece in the mail within a few weeks.

About two weeks ago, my kids got into a wrestling match & one of them lost a piece to their LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar in the process. On a whim, I went to LEGO’s website to submit a request for a quote on a replacement. (It’s a seasonal, hard to find item so replacement parts are not readily available for ordering.) I never heard back from them, so I figured their CSRs are just busy w/Christmas stuff. Plus there’s a warning on their site saying it might take them a while to get back to inquiries due to the holiday season, so I figured I’d give them until after New Years and resubmit the request if I haven’t heard back. I’m in no rush and it’s not a big deal at all. A couple of days ago, I received a mystery package from LEGO. Behold, inside was the missing piece I’d inquired about with a letter that said:

Dear K,

Thank you for getting in touch with us regarding your replacement LEGO© pieces.

I’m sorry to hear your LEGO piece needs replacing. We get to play with LEGO sets all day long (the best job in the world?), so I know that sometimes a piece wears out or gets lost.

That’s why I’ve asked for a replacement piece to be sent out to you. We always try to match the color you want, but sometimes stocks run low, so we might have to send you a different one.

Although we usually ask people to pay for replacement pieces I’m sending this one for free – so now you can get building and have fun!

Your LEGO parts are on their way from our warehouse in Denmark and should be with you in 10 to 14 business days.

Thank you again for contacting us. If you have further questions, please feel free to reply to this email or call one of our friendly Customer Care Advisors at 1-800-835-4386 (from within the US or Canada) or 1-860-749-0706 (from outside the US or Canada). We are available Monday through Friday from 8AM – 10PM EST and Saturday through Sunday from 10AM to 6pm EST. Please have your reference number handy if you need to get in touch with us: XXXXXXXX

Happy building!

That’s it. No name or signature or anything so I can’t call and pass a thank you to the CSR or put in a good word for him/her. I’d like to at the very least say thank you for their kindness, if not pat them on the back with their supervisor. I’m very moved by their generosity and great customer service. Though the replacement part (plus shipping) only amounts to a few bucks, and needless to say, my kid is thrilled to receive the replacement piece so that his set is now complete again but it’s the fact that LEGO cared, and it’s really the thoughtfulness of the act that matters most to me. That is not only amazing customer service that’s sure to guarantee our business for a long time to come, but that is also the meaning of Christmas.

(The humor of the copied & pasted form letter is not lost on me, but I’m too appreciative and in love with their service to care. 🙂 )

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