Have you ever had customer service so good and people working that were so nice that it kind of freaked you out? Almost to the point that you wondered what was going on?
I had that experience recently at Firehouse Subs in Nashville and it made me remember something that once was; what customer service used to be and is meant to look and feel like. Not what we now typically receive on a daily basis.
The reason excellent customer service is odd to us is because we have become accustomed to sub par and impersonal service. The fundamentals have been entirely lost by bad managers hiring the wrong people for the job or not coaching them the correct way to serve the customer.
It’s not like you have to be a brilliant manager or make it so complicated it’s difficult to execute. Like most things, we don’t have to over think it. It’s foundational and easy.
Let’s take what I experienced as an example:
- I was welcomed when entering the door.
- The shop was clean.
- The cashier looked me in the eye, smiled, and asked me how my day was. Before taking my order. (That’s when I began thinking something was amiss)
- I was given clear options when ordering.
- Server brought order with a smile and a great attitude.
- Floor employee (most likely a strictly customer service position) engaged me in conversation and was incredibly pleasant and genuine.
- My order was spot on correct (and good I might add)
- Entire staff was courteous.
- Staff member said goodbye and thank you when I was walking out the door.
See? Easy stuff. Basic. Fundamental. The lost art of customer service in action
I can think of a handful of businesses that routinely have excellent service and are places that I would shop at in person where interaction is possible. Because of their outstanding customer service I will frequent those businesses, if their product is good of course (a whole other subject matter). And if I’m choosing between stores with similar products I will go with the one with better service, even if I have to pay a little bit more.
Top notch customer service is not difficult. It doesn’t take a consultant or a seminar to learn how to make the customer happy. It simply takes the right people, a service oriented leader and great attitudes.
For The Record 