Service with a Smile!

Service with a Smile!  It’s an old saying but still very relevant!  Once a week we are up and out of the house for my son's early morning hockey practice at the rink. My younger son is forced into the early a.m. ride. He views it as a total waste of time, except on that one morning he gets to have a “drive thru” breakfast at a local fast food joint.  While the restaurant is always fast and the food order is seldom wrong, there is one piece missing – Service with a Smile.  As a consumer I started wondering: 
  • Do they dislike their job that much?
  • Is their employer bad to work for?
  • Are they always unhappy?                                              
  • Did I do something to make them not like me as a customer?
  • Should I go elsewhere next time?
It’s the last statement that makes every small business owner quiver in their shoes!  The last thing they want is returning customers to disappear. Service with a smile is not asking much from your employees. In fact if employees start each transaction with a smile, their day may role along a little easier!  There are hundreds of ideas out there when it comes to customer service. Here is my list of musts when dealing with customers:

1. Smile – Be glad that a customer is doing business with you and your employer.

2. Care About Your Job – Whether you are selling Fast Food or Ferrari’s, and regardless of your title, take pride in the job you do because EVERY job well done will add to the success of your business or the business you work for.

3. Be Attentive – Treat each customer as if they were your only one! This is a little harder if your job is to serve hundreds of customers an hour, however this may be one of the most important SERVICE musts! Customers need to know that you care that they are shopping at your store and that you are grateful for their business.

4. Ask your Customers for Feedback – How was everything today? Is there anything we could have done better/different to improve your experience at our business? This is another way of showing you care.

5. ALWAYS THANK YOUR CUSTOMERS – with every verbal or written word, whether in person, in writing or on the telephone, whether they buy from you or don't, ensure that the smile and warmth they were greeted with at the beginning of the visit is followed with warm thanks, when they leave.

Often businesses get wrapped up with the process of consumer transactions and forget the details. Customer service takes discipline and attention to detail.  Service with a Smile! Why not review the old idea with your staff today!

Is it time for a 101 refresher course in Customer Service? 
Call me today for more information on our "Knock Their Socks Off" training program for your staff.

Barb Bruce
705-927-5953