Born to STAND out and not to fit in!
- Be Proactive! Not too long ago, I went into a nationally known drug store and I must have been in the store for about 15 minutes searching for a few items and I couldn’t find one of the items that I needed, so I just proceeded to the counter to pay for the ones that I found. There was a long line and I waited patiently. When it was my turn, the cashier asked me if I had found everything that I was looking for and my response was no. She apologized and kept ringing up my items. I thought to myself, was this just a line that they use to be nice? Nothing else was said, so I left.
A few days later in my travels I stopped at another drug store and as soon as I walked in, I was greeted with a big smile by an elderly gentleman that said “Good Morning, what brings you in today and how may I assist you? “I told him what I was looking for and he immediately guided me to the isle where my item was located. He then said, “Is there is anything else I can do to help, my name is Mr. B just let me know?”
Mr B was very proactive and I was blown away with his professionalism and kindness. Upon leaving, I noticed Mr. B in action again. To me Mr. B stood out and left me with a very pleasant experience regarding the drug store chain.
- Know Your Customers and Have Patience!
Having the opportunity to visit and work in a hospital setting has exposed me to optimal customer service and opportunities for improvements. I was visiting Mr. C who was an 82-year-old man that had very little support at home. It was time for him to be discharged and he was quite nervous due to the fact he lived alone. The nurse came in with all the paper work and began to review everything with him. By the look on his face, I could tell that he wasn’t comprehending a word she was saying. Of course I intervened and ask her to slow down. Her response was, “ I get off in 1 hour and I have 5 other patients to discharge.”
On to my next visit and a very similar scenario, there was an elderly woman that was visually impaired. The nurse came into discharge her and was very polite and shared what a joy it had been to have the privilege of caring for her over the past few days. She went on to ask if it was OK to review all of her discharge information while I along with her granddaughter were in the room. She took her time and allowed time for questions and hugs. Thoroughness and patience stood out!! She also gave them her number and told them that if they had additional questions to call her directly. She shared with me later that she treats all her patients as if they were members of her own family. In addition, she stated that will be me one day and I have to be patient with them.
- Listen!
Like most of us we have found ourselves in a situation where we were attempting to speak with the customer service rep for a major cell phone company. By the time the conversation was over you were drained from trying to communicate and either you ask to speak with someone else or you just hung up and called back knowing that you would not get that same person.
The person was trying to out talk you and tell you all the things they couldn’t do as opposed to listening and getting all the details and coming up with a few solutions to the issue.
On the other hand, there have been times when the person was trained to listen with intention so that they could address each concern. Even though all the concerns couldn’t be addressed at that moment, you felt confident that the individual was competent enough to get you to the right dept that could assist you further.
- Take Responsibility
At least once or twice a month I treat myself to lunch or dinner and I really enjoy great dining experiences from the ambiance, wait staff, and presentation of the meal. However, I have had a few encounters where I sat for over 15 minutes waiting on someone to come and service me.
A few excuses include: “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t see you,” or “I’m the only waiter here, everybody called in today” or just an overall unpleasant attitude problem as if I did something to agitate them. On top of that, they misunderstood my order and when I ask for it to be corrected, they went on to tell me what I said. At that point, I had to ask for the manager or just leave! All they had to do was simply apologize for the wait and try to give me the best service from then on.
On the flip side, which is the majority of the time, I have had some amazing experiences. This one particular waiter came to our table and said “I was hoping that I would be your server today, you look like you could use a nice cold glass of water on this humid day.” “Is there anything else I can get for you to get you started?” He then shared the specials and a few of his favorites on the menu. He had the most amazing smile and it was obvious that he took pride in caring for himself. I noticed him as he worked the room, he treated each table as if they were his only customers. Because it was quite crowded, he kept us up to date on the delays with our meals and then offered us free dessert. He had mastered this and it was evident he took pride in his delivery. No excuses, just updates! He took ownership and did not place blame.
Customer Love Quotes to Share
In Mac Anderson’s book entitled Customer Love, he shares some awesome quotes that really drills home the art of having excellent customer service.
- Customer Service is not a department, it’s an attitude
- Quality is remembered long after the price is gone.
- For every unsatisfied customer who complains, there are 26 other unhappy customers who say nothing and of those 26, 24 will not return.
What ideas do you have to improve customer service? I’d love to know! Comment below.
