There is one thing that sets apart good businesses from great ones: customer service. If you don’t have service that is a cut above the rest, you’ll lose valuable business while clients go elsewhere.
This strikes me time and again in daily life. Whether I go grocery shopping or call tech support on the phone, the service is one area that will make or break my customer loyalty. The way I’m treated means everything to me, regardless of who I am dealing with.
Case in point: a recent visit to a medical clinic for blood test (just a checkup, folks). I arrived at the clinic only to find the waiting room empty. That was great; it should mean speedy service and a smile.
Well, the woman at the counter had her head down. When I stood in front of her, she didn’t look up – for the time it took me to count to 78. I thought I was invisible. When she did look up, she didn’t say a word. She just looked at me.
I handed her my sheet and gave her my most charming smile, mentioning politely I was there for blood tests. She took the sheet (no return smile) and tapped on her computer. “There’s a ten dollar fee. Did you know that?”
*blink*
“Yes, yes I did. Do you take Interac?” I opened my wallet and got ready to pull out my card.
“Whatever’s fine.” She didn’t hold out her hand for the card and bent back to her work. Ooookay.
A minute or two later, she told me to go sit down. Not, “You can take a seat, sir,” or “It won’t be long, would you like to have a seat?” Just, “Go sit down.” Yes, ma’am.
I sat, and the woman got up and left her desk, walking into the depths of the office where I couldn’t see her. Alone, I looked at the walls, the chairs, the yucky art in picture frames… I picked up an old newspaper and read about the 98% alcohol addiction on an Indian reserve… then the mortgage economy… then the comics…
A half-hour later, I still hadn’t been called, the woman hadn’t returned, and the waiting room was full of people wondering who they were supposed to talk to. A few looked hopefully at me, but since I wasn’t wielding medical apparatus and was wearing Nikes, they decided I wasn’t the specialist. Apparently, they should talk to the new woman that came out from behind the scenes to man the desk, another person who didn’t smile or acknowledge anyone in the room. I have no idea what happened to the first woman I’d spoken to.
Then she looked up. “Mr. Chartrand,” she barked. I nearly jumped out of my skin. “There’s a ten dollar fee. Did you know that?” Do these people not communicate with each other?
“Yes, yes, I did.” Out comes the wallet, I smile and rise to go stand at the counter.
It seems no one wanted me to pay. They just wanted me to know that they had a fee. I stood for five full minutes before the woman held out a hand. I blinked at it, then realized she wanted my card. Ah.
I made payment, was ushered through a door, told to sit (not asked, told), and was promptly stuck with a needle. There were no apologies for the slow service, no smiles, no feeling of friendliness or sympathy at my extreme pain and discomfort.
Okay, so it didn’t hurt that much, but still. The point of the story is that when I left the clinic, I was no longer a client of theirs. I vowed to use the other clinic across town and even told two friends that day about my bad experience. The staff lacked courtesy and common manners. Had I been smiled at even once, my whole outlook would have been different.
I like to think that even in a virtual world, I communicate my friendliness and good mood. I like my clients to be happy working with me and to enjoy doing business with my team. In turn, they feel good about the service they get from us, and they’ll come back to do business again. They may even refer us to a friend.
In a world where other providers offer the same services you do, getting an edge over the competition by being better – even if it’s just because you’re friendlier to deal with – means everything. Don’t miss your chance.
And smile!
[...] these days. Competition is stiff and consumers are skeptical. Surveys on customer loyalty and customer service prove that good service matters more to them than anything else. [...]