What do YOUR Customers experience when they visit your business?

Customers will judge their experience on the amount of attention that they receive?

The more attention the customer receives, the greater the level of customer service. I’ve 2 recent experiences that I’d like to share with you:

Last month I went to buy a few groceries. On approach I noticed the staff member at the till was staring out of a window. As I placed my items beside the till there was no warm welcome, no smile, no eye contact or hello. The staff member continued to look out of the window until all the items were in place and then turned around to put them through the till. Still with no acknowledgement or smile I heard “£38.30”.

No please, no eye contact, no “how would you like to pay?”, no attempt to build a rapport, nothing just “£38.30”. I got my card out, to which the staff member tapped the top of the card machine, followed by “pin and enter” then “take your card” in an abrupt tone. Carrier bags were tossed on top of my shopping and receipt handed to me, still without any acknowledgement. I stood there amazed, wondering what I had done to cause this complete lack of interest. I took my card and emphasised the words “THANK YOU”. The response was, yes you guessed it, nothing.

When I returned home I contacted the company and told them of the poor service I had received. I added that a smile, friendly welcome, eye contact, please & thank you was all that I expected. To initiate conversation in order to build a rapport would have exceeded my expectations. I suggested that a “refresher” in Customer Service Training would greatly improve the service that I had just experienced.

A few weeks later I called into another store run by the same company. The service I received couldn’t have been more different. At the till, staff members commented on how they laughed watching my son trying to carry a basket. The said it was hilarious and continued to chat with us during the payment process, asking my son what football team he liked and if he enjoyed school. There was an abundance of eye contact, smiles and rapport building. I commented to the staff member that I was impressed. They added that, due to a recent customer complaint at another store, they have all just gone through “refresher” customer service training on the importance of customer service. I left feeling genuinely delighted with the service that I’d just received.

I take my hat off to the company as, if this is regarding my complaint; they have listened to the customer and embraced the situation.

According to statistics “95% of complaining customers will do business with you again if you resolve the complaint instantly”.

Had I not had such a fantastic customer service experience at the second shop, I may have taken my business elsewhere. And all for what, for an experience that could have been so easily avoidable through coaching, guiding and effective customer service training.