What is the cost of good service?

I was standing in line at a very popular retailer.  The people in front of me [friends] placed their items on the counter and the clerk asked if they had any coupons. My friend replied that she usually gets them but didn’t bring them with her, did the store keep any copies on hand. The clerk replied “no, we don’t keep any on hand”. A quick mention of forgetting her coupons and the clerk then replied “how is that my problem?”.

REALLY?

I was shocked, a very simple exchange and the clerk basically verbally insulted a customer. My response to that was “and a Merry Christmas to you too!”.

It would seem that people on both sides of the business fence, client and service provider, are forgetting some very basic tenets of providing great service. Heck, a lot of places I am very happy with good service, or even service at all.

What can we do as business owners and patrons to help this out?

One of the key items is to remember the client pays your salary. Maybe not directly, but overall – no clients – no pay. We need to understand that good service, better yet, GREAT service can go a long way. How much does it cost you to be a little nicer? A few minutes of your time. A few extra questions answered and not charged for. A friendly and sincere greeting. An understanding of where your client comes from (put yourself in their shoes). Many of these little additions cost nothing, but can provide a substantial amount of free advertising. How do you want your clients to talk about your service? When they tell 10 people about you, what is the message they are going to deliver?

This morning I was driving along the road and I saw something pretty unique. A van that was completely “wrapped” (large advertising decal covering the vehicle) for Shaw’s Chiropractic. Why do I mention them, because they are providing a service – above and beyond their core business. The van is essentially a shuttle bus. The advertising was – Complimentary shuttle for our chiropractic clients. WOW, what a concept. These people are helping their clients – for FREE!

How valuable is that? If I am hurting and need to get to a chiropractor, the chances are pretty good that I will not be able to drive. This company is removing an obstacle for their clients. (The only sad part is there is no mention of this on their web site?)

We as service providers need to understand great service. Give a little more than asked for. Add a few “extras” to the weekly service and include on their bill with “no charge” next to the line item. Take a few phone calls and don’t add it to their tab – go above and beyond what is expected. Doing this, even a little, will put you WAY ahead of the competition.

In working with web sites, I am amazed at how many business owners I talk to that tell me it takes forever to get updates done. Their web developer is slow to respond, or never even responds. I cannot understand why these people continue with people that fail to provide the expected services. There is a large market and plenty of business for people who deliver.

We as consumers can also assist in this area. When we are faced with poor sevice please let them know. Don’t yell, make a scene, or anything like that, this will only compound the problem. Simply make sure the person in charge (manager / owner) is aware. The issue isn’t always the person on the front line, sometimes the responsibility lies with management and proper training / setting expectations.

We need to understand that the service cycle starts with the business owner or trainer. They are responsible for letting their staff know and understand what the service levels are that is expected. They also need to understand that this must be monitored.

What are you going to do over the next few weeks to “up” your service game?

What is an obstacle for a prospect that you can remove to help convert them into a client?

Please comment and let me know what your experiences are with service, both good and bad.

Here is a link another inspiration for this post >>>LINK<<<<