Showing posts with label Smiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smiles. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
United States Postal Service
Yesterday as I was walking home for lunch I was talking to my wife on the telephone. Suddenly she tells me to hold on for a second. In the background I hear her open the front door and begin talking to a man. As our house came into view I saw the mail man standing at our door waiting for my wife to return. She returned, handed him something, and then he walked down our front walk back to his mail car. I met him at our front gate and we chatted for a minute or two about what a beautiful day it was, some of the trees on our property, etc. Then we wished each other a wonderful afternoon and parted ways. I walked in the house to ask my wife why the mail man came to the door but didn't have any mail to deliver. She responded by telling me that a letter we had mailed the day before (to the IRS) didn't have enough postage and that our mail man had stopped by and asked for 17 cents to complete the postage. He didn't have to do that. He could have just slapped one of those "insufficient postage" stickers on it and brought it back leaving it in our mailbox for us to discover later. But he didn't. He took the time to come to our door, explain the issue, suggest a possible resolution (to which we agreed), and then exchanged pleasantries with me. I was blown away at the wonderful service this gentleman provides to my family and me. He is definately getting a Christmas card again this year. Such a simple thing made us feel special and cared for. He gets today's gold star for service.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Shopping Cart
A few weeks ago I was at a large retail store and had paid for my purchases. I was heading to the car with my wife and two children and the shopping cart full of merchandise. We arrived at the car, buckled the children into their car seats, and loaded the trunk. As I was finishing loading the trunk of the car an employee happened to be walking by. He jogged over and asked if I was done with the cart. I responded that I was and he asked if I would like him to put the cart away. I once again acknowledged in the affirmative. He grabbed the cart and as he began to push it back to the store (mind you he was smiling the entire time) he thanked me for shopping there and wished me a good evening. I have gone back to that same store (one I don't normally visit often) at least 4 times since then. Small and simple things. It's all about the small and simple acts of kindness. That is what great customer service, common "cents" customer service, is all about.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Greeters and Cashiers
There is a grocery store here in town that I truly dislike. My wife and I shop there occasionally when we only need an item or two and don't feel like driving 10 minutes to the nearest Walmart. Last night my oldest son and I had a typical shopping experience at this local grocery store.
As we pull into our parking spot and get out of the car the wind was blowing so we quickly run up to the entrance to the store. I put my son in the shopping cart and we bravely venture inside. Once inside we work our way around picking up a tomato here, an onion there, some graham crackers, and the ever constant item on the shopping list: chocolate donuts (my wife is a big fan). When we have found all of the items we were sent to retrieve we begin looking for the shortest check-out line. We make a dash for it before another customer notices it too. So far we've had a pretty good trip; we've found everything we were sent for, it's not too expensive, and we found a really short line. Here is where the store can seal the deal and make us lifelong fans. We unload the cart onto the conveyor belt and approach the checker. I try to make eye contact and give her a friendly disarming smile (if this works I usually say something like "looks like it's been quite a day. How are you holding up?" They usually respond with "It hasn't been too bad, I just can't wait to get home" etc.). She doesn't look up. She doesn't acknowledge my presence. She doesn't say a single word to me in the 90 seconds we are practically stuck together while I wait for her to ring up my purchase. Then (because of the customer credit/debit card swipe terminal) I pay and walk away with my son and groceries without having said a word to her or her to me. I then notice that all of the other checkers are acting the same way. That the man that I presume to be the manager (because he is dressed slightly nicer than the rest) is flirting with another employee, or at least that's the way it looks. My checker, on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being best), is a 6 at best in the cleanliness department...in fact she may not have showered today. As I walk the last 20 feet out of the store contemplating the experience I just had I also notice that the floors aren't clean. While my son and I walk back to our car I am feeling greatful that is over and I won't have to go back there for a while.
What a sad experience that could have so easily been prevented with a little consideration for the customer and some training. Now, I understand that maybe the checker was having a bad day and maybe the manager wasn't flirting, he's just the "friendly" type, but that doesn't change the feeling I left with. The store was dirty, I was not welcome there, and I couldn't wait to be out. In a perfect world this is how my visit would have gone:
As I walk in the store the manager greets me and welcomes me to the store (maybe even asks if he can help me find something). I make my purchases and as I walk up to the checker she makes eye contact and says hello, then comments on what a cute son I have. She rings my food up, asks me if there is anything else, and then informs me of the total and inquires how I would like to pay: cash, check, or credit. I respond "debit" and she processes my payment. As I pick up my groceries to leave she thanks me for shopping there and, with a smile, invites me come again soon. I walk out of the store with a good feeling thinking to myself "I can't understand why other people don't like shopping here." My son and I go home and don't think about it again.
See the difference? Which store am I going to go to next time?
As we pull into our parking spot and get out of the car the wind was blowing so we quickly run up to the entrance to the store. I put my son in the shopping cart and we bravely venture inside. Once inside we work our way around picking up a tomato here, an onion there, some graham crackers, and the ever constant item on the shopping list: chocolate donuts (my wife is a big fan). When we have found all of the items we were sent to retrieve we begin looking for the shortest check-out line. We make a dash for it before another customer notices it too. So far we've had a pretty good trip; we've found everything we were sent for, it's not too expensive, and we found a really short line. Here is where the store can seal the deal and make us lifelong fans. We unload the cart onto the conveyor belt and approach the checker. I try to make eye contact and give her a friendly disarming smile (if this works I usually say something like "looks like it's been quite a day. How are you holding up?" They usually respond with "It hasn't been too bad, I just can't wait to get home" etc.). She doesn't look up. She doesn't acknowledge my presence. She doesn't say a single word to me in the 90 seconds we are practically stuck together while I wait for her to ring up my purchase. Then (because of the customer credit/debit card swipe terminal) I pay and walk away with my son and groceries without having said a word to her or her to me. I then notice that all of the other checkers are acting the same way. That the man that I presume to be the manager (because he is dressed slightly nicer than the rest) is flirting with another employee, or at least that's the way it looks. My checker, on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being best), is a 6 at best in the cleanliness department...in fact she may not have showered today. As I walk the last 20 feet out of the store contemplating the experience I just had I also notice that the floors aren't clean. While my son and I walk back to our car I am feeling greatful that is over and I won't have to go back there for a while.
What a sad experience that could have so easily been prevented with a little consideration for the customer and some training. Now, I understand that maybe the checker was having a bad day and maybe the manager wasn't flirting, he's just the "friendly" type, but that doesn't change the feeling I left with. The store was dirty, I was not welcome there, and I couldn't wait to be out. In a perfect world this is how my visit would have gone:
As I walk in the store the manager greets me and welcomes me to the store (maybe even asks if he can help me find something). I make my purchases and as I walk up to the checker she makes eye contact and says hello, then comments on what a cute son I have. She rings my food up, asks me if there is anything else, and then informs me of the total and inquires how I would like to pay: cash, check, or credit. I respond "debit" and she processes my payment. As I pick up my groceries to leave she thanks me for shopping there and, with a smile, invites me come again soon. I walk out of the store with a good feeling thinking to myself "I can't understand why other people don't like shopping here." My son and I go home and don't think about it again.
See the difference? Which store am I going to go to next time?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Small and Simple Things
I was talking with my boss today about customer service and my recently acquired fascination with it. He chuckled as he recalled several years ago when we began working together and I routinely expressed my desire to be away from the customers, that the customers were always interrupting me, and that I couldn't get anything done with them around (I obviously had the wrong perspective, without customers I wouldn't have a job). I began to quickly explain from whence my fascination has arisen. I told him something along the following lines:
I am not interested in customer service simply because I like people (though I generally do). What really interests me is how small acts of customer service can and do impact the financial statements. A quick smile, a wave, a spirited "Hello! I'm glad you're here" can make a huge difference. Maybe that customer was having a rotten day and because you took 15 to 30 seconds to acknowledge them (in a positive and friendly manner) the day ended much better. A brief interaction can leave a lasting impression. 30 seconds can make all the difference. One customer retained (especially in higher education) is worth thousands of seconds of friendliness. That one customer equals thousands of dollars in revenue that year and in the years to come and saves the recruiting team thousands of dollars (not to mention hours) in finding and bringing a new body to campus. This is what fascinates me, how the small and simple things make a HUGE difference in people's lives and on the financial statements.
I am not interested in customer service simply because I like people (though I generally do). What really interests me is how small acts of customer service can and do impact the financial statements. A quick smile, a wave, a spirited "Hello! I'm glad you're here" can make a huge difference. Maybe that customer was having a rotten day and because you took 15 to 30 seconds to acknowledge them (in a positive and friendly manner) the day ended much better. A brief interaction can leave a lasting impression. 30 seconds can make all the difference. One customer retained (especially in higher education) is worth thousands of seconds of friendliness. That one customer equals thousands of dollars in revenue that year and in the years to come and saves the recruiting team thousands of dollars (not to mention hours) in finding and bringing a new body to campus. This is what fascinates me, how the small and simple things make a HUGE difference in people's lives and on the financial statements.
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