Companies cannot afford to skimp on outstanding customer service

Companies cannot afford to skimp on outstanding customer service
                        
All business success flows from one thing: good customer service. And yet, it seems that is a concept often forgotten. Employees on the front line of customer service also tend to be the ones most untrained to provide it. They are the ones paid the least for the most customer interaction. Good customer service is not only a valued skill, it’s practically an art when it is delivered by those who know how. I have a friend who owns her own business. It requires her to be part entrepreneur, part marketing guru, part accountant and part human resources director. And, while she isn’t getting rich, she really likes what she does. There are days, I know, when it’s difficult to deal with customers. Not only are there stressors at work, but life stressors as well. I’ve had moments when slamming the phone down on an irascible caller seems like the smartest idea I’ve had all day. And yet, I have never seen my friend be anything but gracious and helpful to everyone who comes through her doors. She’ll tell you that’s because she owns the business. She literally can’t afford to have an off day. She’s right. In the 25 years I have lived in Wayne County, I’ve had some really memorable customer service experiences. I bet you have, too. Folks of a certain age will tell you how Herman Freedlander used to greet customers at the doors to his department store and how he took a personal interest in giving everyone an outstanding shopping experience. I remember my first trip to the Wooster Gift Corner, where the ladies behind the counter helped me pick out a Mother’s Day gift and wrapped it beautifully for me for free, all the while chatting with me about Wooster and how to find my way around. Those experiences are repeated in businesses all over Wayne County, from the mechanic who always gives my mom’s car a little extra care and a free wash to the farmer who is happy to explain how his practices created that awesome truckload of sweet corn. You remember these people. More importantly, you return to do business with them again and again. It seems so simple: if you want to do business with someone, be nice to them. Value them. Treat them as you would like to be treated. My college roommate worked at a pizza parlor while we were undergrads. To this day, she tips extremely well for good service. She knows what that takes. She’s been there. So, the other day, I am in what I will only identify as a local retail establishment. I can’t find what I want. I can’t find anyone to help me. When I finally see someone sporting the corporate colors, I ask for help. How dare I? This apparently took time away from the clerk’s all-important task of texting someone, whilst talking to another clerk about her plans for the weekend. When I got to the counter, another clerk silently completed the transaction, took my money and made change. She handed me the bag. She did not smile. She did not speak. She did not say “thank you.” I won’t go there again. The products that store sells can be found at no fewer than a half-dozen other stores in town. I’m sure losing my business isn’t going to force that store to close its doors. But if enough customers share my experience, it’s bound to affect the bottom line. Still, customer service is one of the lowest paying jobs you’ll find. I’m no business wizard, but it seems to me if you find that person, that employee who can raise customer service to an art form, that is the person who is literally worth his weight in gold.


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