Say. Do. Feel.

Do service expectations change when everything's under a dollar?

I have to admit that I am a bargain shopper at my core.  I love nothing more than thinking “I only paid that for this!”  So, it’s not surprising that I make occasional visits to the 99-cent store and even the Dollar Tree on those days when I want to splurge and spend that extra penny.  After all, mustard is mustard, wherever you bought it!

This past weekend, I was in a Dollar Tree store and witnessed a customer service disaster.  At 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, there was only one cash register open with a beleaguered teenager doing his best to move the line along, which had grown twenty people deep.  A well-dressed woman who had some place to go other than the Dollar Tree that afternoon was getting anxious; after years of diffusing customer service emergencies, I’m an expert at reading a customer’s nonverbal communication!  Suddenly, the woman yells out, “There is only one person working here on a Saturday afternoon?  This is ridiculous.  Get someone else out here right now so we can all get out of here!”  And then my greatest fear in that situation came in to play: the teenage boy behind the register said, without any censoring at all, “I guess she is on her break; I haven’t seen her in a while.”  Seconds later, all hell broke loose!

The woman that had initially screamed out was now wailing.  “What did you just say?  That is not my problem that you are understaffed.  Get someone out here now!”  And then, I heard a voice behind me in line yell, “Look, lady, this guy is doing as good as he can.  If you don’t want to wait in line, go someplace where things cost more than a dollar.  What did you expect when you walked in, Bloomingdale’s?”  The well-dressed woman was now infuriated:  she got very quiet, got out of line and walked right toward the man who had defended the clerk.  She dropped her basket of party items at his feet and said, “Good idea.  Since I can afford to pay more than a dollar, unlike you, I think I am leaving.”  She headed to the door, leaving the man with a basket of streamers at his feet, yelling phrases that I thought were only used at truck stops.  Within seconds of the woman leaving, the woman who had been on her “break” returned and opened another register…though some people in the line left dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed.

For me, this experience plagued me for the rest of the afternoon. It highlights a classic customer service debate: should customers spending less expect less service?  That is certainly what the bold guy behind me in line thought: if you want good service, go someplace more expensive.  That is absolutely not my philosophy!  In my world, good service is good service and could and should come in the most unexpected places.  I will never forget the associate I met at a Kmart in Big Bear Lake who literally cut off the top of one of the display Christmas trees to make sure I got the tree topper I wanted one Christmas Eve.  As kindness and empathy are at the heart of great service, all customers, whether they spend $1 or $10,000, should be treated well at all times.  They should be treated as precious commodities since, for every customer service professional at any level of service knows, customers are ultimately signing your paycheck.  And, let’s not forget, merely shopping at Bloomingdale’s or the like does not ensure better or even acceptable service.  

My question is this: should service get better as you spend more?  Is there a baseline that someplace like the Dollar Store must meet while luxury retailers have completely different rules?  I’d love to hear your opinions about this topic in the days to come!  Let me know what you think now…

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

-Maya Angelou

Feeling welcome is the foundation of all customer service

As a Customer Service professional for more than 20 years, this quotation has served as my hallmark.  While it is always important to follow through on promises we make when delivering exceptional customer service, brand loyalty and truly memorable service only come through connecting with our customers, making them feel as if they are ultimately guests in our home.

It is the feeling part of customer service that drives me each and every day.  By showing genuine concern for a customer, by knowing their name, by remembering their spouse’s and children’s names, by marking important anniversaries together…these are the ways we make customers feel genuinely good about our businesses.  There is nothing simpler or more powerful than receiving an unexpected note from your favorite salesperson wishing you a Happy Birthday, especially if it comes with a small gift that has no strings attached.  One of my favorite programs ever instituted during my career included a simple birthday note wishing our favorite customers a sensational day, including an offer to pick up a small box of See’s Candy during their next visit.  This simple initiative, showing valued customers that we want to celebrate and acknowledge their special day with them, consistently made customers feel special.  In fact, in many cases, it was the one and only birthday gift they received.  Believe me, those customers will be loyal as long as you are in business.

When is the last time you made a customer feel truly special?  Please share your experiences so that “Say. Do. Feel.” becomes your favorite place to discuss amazing service.

As Maya Angelou eloquently states, your customers will never forget how you made them feel…especially if you’ve made them feel like a welcomed guest rather than a customer!