I just got back from a large supermarket chain to do some grocery shopping.  I don’t usually shop at this location of the chain, but it was convenient for me today.  Aside from the expected minor annoyance of not knowing the layout of the store, all went fairly smoothly until the end.  At the last minute, I remembered that I needed some sandwich meat to make for school lunches tomorrow.  At the location that I usually shop at, they have ready made bags of the popular deli meats already sliced by the deli counter and there for the taking. This store did not.  That’s alright, I thought, I see two uniformed staff behind the counter, and as luck would have it, nobody was in line.

Ever been frustrated when you ask someone who works in a place of business about a product and they really can’t answer your questions? Trained associates can help. As detailed in The Gourmet Retailer,  The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA), Madison, Wis., has partnered with LearnSomething, Inc. (LS), Tallahassee, Fla., prominent cheese manufacturers DCI Cheese Company, Président and Land O’Lakes, and several major retailers to produce “Cheese: Product Knowledge for Retail Staff.” This is an online training program that teaches cheese and deli department associates how to engage customers and deliver cheese solutions to meet shopper needs.

Have you ever been upset when a company makes a promise that it doesn’t fulfill?  This is one of the easiest ways to lose customers.  Otherwise known as “Over-promising and Under-delivering”, this demonstrates the company’s lack of commitment to follow through and satisfying the needs of their customers.

In speaking with many companies, I am frequently told “Oh, we have customer service under control. We put our staff through training when they are hired. We even have training programs that we occasionally have for our staff. They really enjoy those events.”

Holding Customer Service Training Programs for your staff is an excellent idea and the best way to reinforce the customer service mindset for your organization. But don’t lose sight of a crucial truth…… Establishing Superior Customer Service is a PROCESS, not an Event.

“You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”

How true this is!  It takes only a few seconds for people to make a customer service judgment about you and your organization.  Make the first impression count in a positive way.  Here are a few of the top deal makers or breakers that you and your organization should live by:

When customers physically are in our business or organization, how are they treated?  One of the most important points that I stress is that it is essential to acknowledge customers as soon as possible.  There are few things more aggravating than having to look for a sales person or receptionist to help us.  The customer should be acknowledged within seconds of them walking through the doors.  Eye contact, a smile, a nod of the head, and a genuine verbal welcome tells the customer that you are happy that they are here and that you can help them.

When making hiring decisions within your organization, be sure to consider the “friendliness factor.”

Customers make their purchasing decisions based on how they feel.  When they are developing relationships with their service and product supplies, a person who smiles, is inviting, and is easy to talk to ranks high in the preferred qualities that customers list.  Be aware that the “Friendliness Factor” is not always something you can train for.  It really is based on the personality of the associates we hire.

I made a call to an office today and was greeted with the most droll sounding phone receptionist – “XYZ’s Office.  This’s Elaine. Mayep you?”

No, those were not typos, that was exactly how she sounded.  Besides the fact that I couldn’t really understand her words, she had the enthusiasm of someone who had just been told that she needed a root canal.  Which, actually, is funny because it was the dentist’s office that I was calling.

Did this really just happen? People, when you are paid to speak to your customers on the phone, please don’t take total leave of your senses and treat us with complete lack of common courtesy.  I think I may have just found a prospective new client in need of some training to improve their customer service telephone skills.

Managing the customer experience requires just a little effort and very little cost to make a big difference.  It could even make someone’s day.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I attended a luncheon honoring the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan held at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids, MI.

Now, all JW Marriott hotels are renowned for the excellence in every way.  They are truly centered on their guests and do everything possible to ensure a positive experience.

Making the mundane memorable is the key ingredient in customer experience management.

I had the good fortune to attend a luncheon today held by the Grand Rapids Business Journal honoring the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan. It was wonderful to see the efforts of so many women pay off and be recognized for their leadership in our business world and in our communities.

Have you ever purposely put someone in a situation just to see how they handle themselves?  I did this yesterday, not to watch the poor girl sweat, but to see how well she had been trained to deliver good customer service.