Photo (CC) by Ron Mader, on Flickr

If this happened to you as a customer, how would you feel?

Our washer has a problem. Service person came out and ordered a part for it. Part should be here in two weeks and made the next appointment. The day before the appointment, I get an automated call. If my issue was a service call, I was asked to press #1. I did. I was then put on hold for the next available representative. Remember, they called me. Is this service?

And the story continues. I then get a text asking me to call in. I do and get someone right away. She asks about my issue. She puts me on hold and checks their database. The part is back-ordered and I should contact them to reschedule when the part arrives. That could have been done and put into the text. Is this service?

After these two contacts, I received three more calls and texts asking me to call in. Is this service?

So let me move to another situation on the same day. I had some medical tests done. The doctor who ordered them had a family emergency. My appointment to hear the results is cancelled. She, however, won’t be back until mid-August. The office staff said they would have my primary doctor order something because I qualified. But I have no idea what the test said. Is this service?

The last one is especially a challenge. What would you do if you have an emergency and your clients had to wait? I know one service person who, in a small town there there were only two of them, connected with his competitor to cover his clients in certain situations. Would you do that?

I am sure all of you have had similar issues. Service is sometimes hard to define but we certainly “know it when we see it.” Know ask yourself as a business owner, how might you have handled the situations above? In hind-sight it is easy to come up with a plan but are you ready to respond on the spot? And is your staff prepared as well? Do they have the authority to take a bold action?

Just something to ponder as you think about your service efforts. 

Photo (CC) by Ron Mader, on Flickr

A Business Truth –There is no need to market if your small business does not offer great customer service?

And by customer service, I am not just talking about a good return policy. Customer service starts in the pre-purchase decision making effort through purchase and then right on to use, today, tomorrow and for the life of the product or service.

If your business isn’t offering top-notch customer service, you may as well save your marketing dollars. Why market if you are focused on a one-time customer transaction? Or certainly, change your marketing strategy to one of getting the customer in the door and making a quick sale.

This sound harsh and callous, but think about it. Marketing, in its broadest meaning, includes building awareness, trust and a relationship. It’s branding of your business so that the customer knows who you are and what you stand for. Part of that effort is your customer service effort. So if you ignore customer service, it just doesn’t pay to market. Your effort can be simply advertising and nothing more.

But realize when doing this that your customer pool is finite. And your reputation spreads. Even if you could maintain the cheapest prices over the long term, it won’t be enough to sustain your business.

Good customer service is more than a sign on the wall or a dedicated department. I would suggest taking the sign down and eliminating the department. It is not a job done by only a few employees. It starts with you and must be practiced by each and every employee every day. It’s shown through your words and action.

Good customer service means consistency and something more than one-size-fits-al. It’s offering the customer your full attention. It’s listening and it’s checking back after dealing with an upset customer.

Good customer service is realizing that not all customers are telling you their problems with your products and services. Search them out. Today’s social media is a great way to stay aware of some of these unspoken issues. Make contact and try to resolve the issue.

Customer service and marketing go together. Building a long-term business means offering both.

Photo (CC) by Stefan, on Flickr

Just over a month ago, I asked for your help (see A Question: Service Expectations – Jan 18^th). I thought I should share the thoughts given and an update on my situation.

In brief, my question asked if employees of a food establishment should be able to guide me through the payment process using my smart phone and near-field communication (Android Pay).

The responses indicate slightly  (3 yes and 2 no with one “it depends”) that employees should be able to help the customer. One respondent though indicated that the expectation of how far the employee might help should be limited and reasonable. The employee should not be responsible to help download and setup the app.

Of course, this answer fit well with my situation. I didn’t want to be embarrassed that I couldn’t work my smartphone and that I was also holding up other customers.

Also to me, it seems there is some implied promise that some help might be given if you offer something.

Yet other respondents offered some excellent reasons why this expectation probably exceeded what I should expect. One reason was that knowing how to use the phone and its apps rested with the user. I was doing this for me. The store had multiple ways I could pay and the method I selected was my choice.

One business owner said the issue does not seem to come up often based on her experience. This makes it something that, given all of the training and procedures employees need to have, something less than a priority.

There was a mix of feelings. As I mentioned in the article, I had not prepared myself on how to use the app. Watching others made it look so simple and isn’t that what we expect of modern technology.

I think the comment about expected use of the app is important in your decision. If you have a customer base likely to use this tool a lot, you may want to be prepared. If little use is expected, it probably need not be as high on your to-do list.

Bottom line – If I can offer a path it would be this:

• Know what tools are out there
• Think about the potential use in your situation. This starts with deciding if you will even offer something.
• Train your employees.  The training might be as simple as teaching them how, in an acceptable way, of saying you can’t help people with such issues.
• And be prepared to follow future changes and new tools

So to an update on my progress as a techie. 

After going home and looking at how it should be done, including a YouTube video, I had another unsuccessful attempt. Again, I got nervous as I was holding up the line. This time the staff member did offer a couple of suggests but I just gave up and swiped my credit card.  But on my third attempt, success.

Since then I have used another “pay-by-app” tool. This did not use near-field communication but another method. Again, I was unsuccessful the first time. It was my error though as I did not remember my PIN number. After resetting, success!!

And since then, as I have been in other stores, my phone has informed me that I could use my Android Pay app as well (thanks technology).

These tools, and many more coming, are part of the continuing technology explosion. Not all will go into the mainstream. And even those that make it may only last a few years.  As a business owner, you need to evaluate which ones to use and then help yourself and your staff to learn them and possibly to assist others. 

Enjoy the challenge.

Photo by Glenn Muske

It may be that I grew up in a small town area, but mention “small-town service” to people and they will know what you are talking about.

So when I saw the tagline on this business sign, I felt I understood how this business treated their customers. (You can read more about developing the tagline for your business at my previous post, Seven Steps to a Small Business Tagline. )

I am talking about that feeling of being known, the feeling that someone will take the extra steps to make sure you are satisfied.

Let me give you an example.  Several years back, my family and I were driving through Missouri and we had a flat tire.  I am a farm boy so not a problem, except I couldn’t get the wheel rim loose from the wheel studs. Well, a helpful patrol officer stop and gave me a tip. Not only that but he then led us to the nearest town. He knew a station that, although closed, would probably help us get the tire fixed and get us back on our way. The service station was closed but opened up, rapidly put on a new tire and we were on the road again.

That’s an example of small-town service.

Yet, small-town service does not just happen. I have had similar assistance in the big cities as well.

So what is small-town service?

It begins with conversation and a person willing to listen to what we need. It isn’t about what they have to sell but our needs.

The conversation leads to a connection and then on to assistance. I have experienced people going well out of the normal course of their business to help me get what I want. I have even had a referral to a competitor who had what I wanted. (Remember the scene from “Miracle on 34th Street.“)

Small-town businesses, most often small businesses, should take advantage of their ability to connect with customers. It’s an advantage that businesses in a larger city can achieve only through much more effort. In the small town you don’t have to create community. You are surrounded by it as you work and live.

Small-town service is real. Customers know it when they receive it and will return for more.