 |
| Knowledgeable Service With A Smile |
I went to a different store the next day, brought up the same issue, and this technician simply asked “What can I do to help?” That was the response I was looking for. They fixed my problem, the warranty covered repairs and I was able to use my computer again. I have not been back to the first store since, but I have gone back to the second one for both repairs and advice.
Several years ago I worked in a city’s downtown core where there was a large mall. Foot Locker was having a sale, and the specific shoe I wanted was half off. I visited the store, couldn’t find the shoe on the shelves, and asked a staff
member if they could find a pair for me. Within a minute or two the young lady told me they didn’t have any in stock but that she would call the other stores in the city to see if they had a pair. Then three staff members started calling around to the other Foot Lockers in the city to find the shoes – I had 3 staff looking for on sale shoes for me! The young lady then apologized, saying that all the stores were sold out of that shoe, but she then told me that she knew the store’s competition would be having a sale the next week and the shoe I was looking for would be on sale there. I bought the shoes at the competition, but I came back to that Foot Locker many times because I felt I could trust the staff there for advice and honesty about their products and prices.
I stopped at a new gas station on the way back after a long day at the Calgary Zoo. The kids were tired and fighting in the back seats, and both my wife and I had headaches from too much sun. I pulled into a new gas station to fill up and buy some snacks for the ride home. I jumped out, put the nozzle in the tank and pressed the button for the fuel I wanted. Nothing happened. I pressed the button again, and nothing happened again. I started looking for instructions to see if I was doing something wrong. Just then a snarling voice came of the speaker just above the gas pumps – “You have to pay first!” I looked at the speaker, and that same whiny snarl came again “You have to pay first!” Not a polite “Sir, you need to pay first. You can pay inside or at the pump.” Nope, it was a growl, as if I was the stupidest person in the world and I had interrupted something terribly important with my stupidity. I actually drove away to fill up and buy snacks at another station.
Now, I understand that the pre-pay option prevents people from filling up and taking off without paying. It also can be very quick and convenient for the driver to just pay at the pump with their debit or credit card. However, let me share the other extreme with you. At our local Co-op gas station, they get around the "gas and run" thieves by actually serving you. They have people who come out and fill the tank for you, wash your windshield, and they will check the oil and washer fluid as well if you ask. They are quite friendly and will usually ask you about how your day is going. They do all of this with the Co-op's gasoline at the same price as that other place that is self serve and forces you to pay before you fill up, before you even take their product. I know which place I choose to spend my money with, and I have returned often.
I want readers to know that I usually give places more than one chance before I decide to never visit them again. I understand that someone may be having a bad day and I sympathize with them. The services sector is not an easy place to work, and definitely not an easy industry to have service excellence. However, if I’m coming into a store, a restaurant, or to a mechanic to give you money that I have worked for, I do hope that you will pay attention to me and my problem, that you provide me with solutions, not more problems, and that you treat me courteously and with respect. That is how I view your role as a service provider, whether I’m paying for a hair cut, buying a frying pan, or getting my car fixed. Even if you cannot provide the service or product, but tell me so politely, as if you are actually concerned about my problems, it helps. If you do that, I will not only continue to give you my money as the need arises, but I will tell others about the great service and advice you provide. That is how I view my role as a customer.
If any readers have thoughts about the service they have received somewhere, good or bad, please share them.
I agree about the service at the Co-op gas station. They are always friendly and give great service. That is not easy to come by these days. I also think that the service at the CU is great. We rarely have to wait in line and the staff are always friendly and very helpful as well as knowelgable which also is hard to come by these days! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteService has really gone down hill over the past dozen years. So many businesses show no respect for their customers, and many do not train their staff in how to show respect and actually help the customer. Some stores have gotten so bad that I would rather do the work myself and order online than have to face their staff and their terrible service. It makes going to the Rocky Co-op a pleasure because the staff do smile and do try to help. I can also say the same with Rocky Credit Union. The tellers are very nice, and there are always so many of them that I can get through the line ups very quickly, unlike other banks that only have 2 tellers, even on busy days.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading a book by Roxanne Emmerich called "Profit Growth Banking." In it she shares an experience of doing a seminar with a bunch of small bank CEOs in the U.S. She emphasized the importance of training staff and of investing continually in that training.
ReplyDeleteOne of the CEOs said he hated spending money on training because he would train them and then they would leave. Roxanne then asked him, (paraphrasing) "So, you don't like spending money to train staff because they might leave. Does that mean you like keeping untrained staff?"
The CEO basically did a double take, because it was the first time that he realized that through his mindset of looking at only the costs of training that he was completely losing out on the opportunities of training. His choice not to spend money on training meant he was keeping untrained staff.
Far too many Canadian companies work the same way: Never take a risk, don't spend money unless there is an absolute guaranteed return. While losses do happen, you can't get a return on investment unless you actually make an investment. Expecting to grow by not investing in equipment or staff training, and never taking a risk as akin to planting a seed but never giving it water or sunshine. You might as well sell your idea to someone else who will do something more with it.