Today’s guest blogger is Clarity Patton Newhouse, author of “A Sunny Note,” insights for business and life, published each Friday morning at ASunnyNote.com and emailed to readers across America and beyond.
For great (or even just good) customer service, there’s no substitute for caring – no matter what else is taught in a training manual.
Where did I find great customer service? The other day I went to Twelve Oaks Mall to replace my favorite watch. After presenting the watch at various jewelry stores to lukewarm responses, I walked into Helzberg Diamonds. The associate, Mida, who promptly greeted me – instead of just pointing out what they had on display – looked closely at my watch, asked me questions about it and proceeded to peruse her catalogs and computer in search of exactly what I wanted. Her attitude and actions together showed that she genuinely cared.
But here’s the twist. Despite Mida’s efforts, she wasn’t able to find what I wanted. I was on a specific mission, so off I went. I eventually found my new watch at Lord & Taylor, but they didn’t have an in-store jeweler to customize the links in the band to fit my little wrist.
The bottom line – caring is the key to customer service.
So now what? Mida at Helzberg had struck me as a caring person, so even though it was a little awkward to go back and tell her I found the watch somewhere else, I felt she might understand. Sure enough, she handled my odd request with total grace. That’s when the Helzberg experience went from good to great. I walked out with a perfectly fitted watch and a new favorite jewelry store. She might not even realize it, but the next time I’m shopping for jewelry, I’m headed to Helzberg.
The bottom line – caring is the key to customer service. If we don’t care, performing the right procedures won’t be enough. But if we do care, then even situations that seem like problems become opportunities to create customers for life.
Clarity Patton is Quality and Business Development Manager for Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury in Garden City, Michigan, where the Metropolitan team is dedicated to providing the most convenient car shopping experience available anywhere along with the best customer service – before, during and after the sale. Contact Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury at 734-458-1929 or www.MetroMichigan.com.
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