3 Principles of Customer Service

By Chris Smith

I was at the supermarket the other day, and I was thinking of how much the world has changed in the past 20 years and how it is a story of the decline of customer service.

After waiting in line with my items, I did not even get a “Hi” from the cashier as she started swiping my groceries – she only asked if I had my preferred shopping card (a device to overcharge customers or force them to carry yet another card around.) Without explicitly saying it, her body language was such that it was clear that I was inconveniencing her by shopping there. That became even more apparent when her cell phone rang half way through my check out, and she was not shy about answering it and speaking on the phone right in front of me. When she started to throw my groceries randomly into plastic bags without any care for fragile items and I had to ask if I could just pack my own stuff. The best part about it is that the supermarket companies think this service level is too expensive and are gradually removing checkout lanes in favor of self-checkout lanes.

When did this type of service become the standard?

Twenty years ago when you were cashing out at the supermarket the cashier and the bag boy genuinely appreciated your business, because they knew your business is what gave them a job. Many of them would remember your name and had memorized the codes on all of the fresh items so they would not have to look them up. The bag boy gave you your choice of paper or plastic and was trained on how to pack your bags efficiently to avoid damaging the bread or the eggs.

It made me think about the principles I try to follow at my business to deliver the type of service that I would desire if I were on the other end of the phone:

• Genuinely be grateful the business. My company is a small business, so I know as well as anyone that if customers do not order, I can’t pay the bills. I try to convey to my customers that it is a privilege to supply them.

• Listen to what your client needs. In today’s turbulent environment of multi-tasking between the phone, the internet, email and your iphone it is hard to give someone your undivided attention; however, nothing exasperates me more than when I call a supplier and I can tell they are half listening to me and half checking their email.

• Be respectful of your customer’s time. I can’t tell you how often I request a proposal for an item that I need and I don’t hear back for a week or don’t hear back at all. I installed a new alarm system at my company over the summer and I requested quotes from 3 different alarm companies. One company was a small business where the owner visited, explained the different choices and costs and faxed over a proposal the very next day. The other two alarm vendors sent sales reps that tried to sell me a Ferrari when I asked for a Ford. For the latter two vendors, I had to remind them one week later that I was waiting on a proposal. Guess which vendor won my business?

These are just three principles that serve me well, and I am sure we could go on all day identifying other principles, but I think the most important aspect is your attitude. If you behave in a manner that shows your customers that you are truly focused on their needs, then you are covering 90% of customer service.