Good. Cheap. Fast. How do you like your Customer Service (3/14/19)

How do you get great Customer Service? I’ve asked this question before!

Answer: Be a good customer.

EXAMPLE:  We ordered lunch today from one of our favorite places in town.  When I went to pick it up, and pay, the owner said, it’s on me, no charge.

Needless to say, I was happy.  

I asked him why?  And he told me that since I had previously told him that on a previous order that we had delivered they had forgot something, nothing big.

That’s great customer service.  Keep your customers happy and coming back for more!

Last week I was in Macy’s standing in line to purchase something.  And there was a lady in front of me at the cashier.  I could see the lady was giving the cashier a hard time about the prices and such, just being one of those pain-in-the-ass customers.

Then she complained because she wanted a bag, but didn’t want to pay for one (the County I live in, you have to now pay for a plastic bag).  Anyway, the lady finishes and walks away in a huff.

So now it’s my turn, and in my head I’m thinking the cashier is not going to be happy because of the other lady, so I do what I do best, make her feel good.

I looked at her, give her a BIG Patti B smile and asked, ‘how is your day going’?

She immediately smiled back and we went from there.

Not only was she friendly as could be, she signed me up for their reward program (which I didn’t even ask for), this was after I told her I didn’t want a credit card. 

And I was smiling on the inside, because as I was signing up for the program, she put my new blouse in a bag and didn’t even charge me.

I used to have one bank.  I was with them for quite a few years.  And then I started noticing something I didn’t like.  The customer service I was receiving was pretty terrible. 

It seems to me that sometimes businesses get “too comfortable” with you as a customer, hence, you seem to go down on their priority list in terms of giving GREAT Customer Service.

One time I complained because my debit card didn’t work (when I knew I had money in my account), and when I complained, the lady basically blew me off.

This kept happening over a series of a few months, until I just had enough!

So I switched branches with that bank, and then opened new accounts at two other banks.  For a variety of reasons.

At the new branch, whenever I come in, if the branch manager is there, he always says, ‘hello Patricia, how can I help you today’.  And if he’s not there, and it’s one of the tellers waiting on me, they always welcome me with a big hello and smile.

The other two banks, same thing. 

And you know what, I always give a big Hello and Smile back.  Because I want them to know I appreciate them!

One day recently, I went into one of my new banks, and all the people working at their desks just looked up and smiled at me.  As if in unison.  Of course, I smiled back. 

And after I used the ATM and was walking out,  it was the same thing.

It was the funniest experience.

As a Professional Personal Shopper, I am in the stores a lot.  And I am always paying attention to three things; 

Management.

The employees who work under management.

My fellow shoppers.

And I can tell you from experience, some people are pretty nasty customers.  

I have no doubt they they wonder why they get crappy customer service.

One of my pet-peeves, which I have written about before.

Is when people throw their money on the counter when paying for something!

I cannot tell you how much that infuriates me. 

I’m at my local 7-11 like three times a day, and I see this all the time.

Don’t make the cashier pick up your money! 

That’s not their job!

Be a good human being and HAND the cashier YOUR money!

One of the very many advantages about having your own business, is you get to decide who you want to work with.

If I get the feeling that a prospective client and I may not be on same page, rather than ‘us’ having a bad experience, I simply say I don’t think we are a good fit.  I’m fortunate to say, this has only happened twice in seven years.

And the clients I do work with, I give 110%!  I want my clients to walk away happy and coming back for more!  Shopping anyone?

At the end of the day, this is really what it all comes down to.

Quality!

The quality of your work!

That’s a wrap for today.

And DON’T FORGET to sign-up for my blogs directly into your mailbox, sign-up on the blog and you will never miss one again!

Talk soon,

Patricia <3 always

NineFrogs ~ Be so good they can’t ignore you!