Customer Service: used underwear should be where we draw the line.

It struck me recently that I don’t really share from my experiences very often. 

One thing that has been in my mind lately is Customer Service. This is the most important aspect of your business. 

I have worked for McDonalds, Starbucks, The Gap, the PNE, the Body Shop, Cineplex. 

They all have an on-boarding process where they focus on customer service. I would say that out of those McDonalds and Starbucks and the Gap have the highest standards for customer service. Some of these may have changed since my time there but McDonalds, the customer is always right! (Except that one time the teenage boy put his own blonde hair in his burger and tried to convince me we did it when on team that night we only had two hair colours black and red)... you don’t mess with redheads that way. 

The teenage boy put his own blonde hair in his burger and tried to convince me we did it!

They will replace anything you are unhappy with, without so much as a side eye. You drop a drink in the lobby?? We’d hear it and you’d have a fresh drink in hand while we are carrying out the mop before you could think to ask for a new one.

Starbucks... well we all know if your Venti, extra hot, extra foam, Almond Milk, Cinnamon Dolce Latte isn’t perfect you are getting a new one, with a we’re sorry the next drink is on us card! I had a lady who only had me make her drink she wanted an Americano, simple right? No! It had to have 3inches of hot water, then the espresso shots, then 2 inches of extra hot steamed milk, then a scoop of foam and 1.5 inches of room left in the cup! (Folks that’s not an Americano but that’s what she wanted). I had her stay at the bar one time while she taught me exactly what her drink should be, I then remade it until I got it right. We were both tired of her drink coming back again and again. From that day on she only had me make her drink and she was so happy! Why was she so particular? She came in everyday because it was the one thing she could do every day to force herself out of the house that wasn’t too strenuous because.... hold your hats people... she had been electrocuted and was recovering. Her hair had been red and it went white, she was starting to get a red streak back when I met her. 

I had her stay at the bar... while she taught me exactly what her drink should be, I then remade it until I got it right.

And the Gap, next to Costco (whose return policy I didn’t know when I worked there), they are the best or worst depending on what side of the till you are on. You can or could, not sure, return anything. It can be washed and worn because they want to make sure you are just as happy after you shrink and dye it pink or blue in the laundry as you were the day you purchased it. No receipt? No problem! So we would have items returned from like a decade earlier. One time I had a man return his used and still dirty boxers. I questioned management on this one before I returned it to be like “you are not serious that I have to touch this!” Sure enough they made me/let him return it. 

It can be washed and worn because they want to make sure you are just as happy... as you were the day you purchased it.

So what do we do with all of these extreme customer service standards?? We apply them to our business. How can we be that business where our clients say these guys will “Disney” level treat you right. 

We’ve bought our clients gifts cause we saw it and knew they would like it, we’ve cut our price to meet budgets in desperate times, we have forgiven invoices when there, to date, one time was a dissatisfaction, we send them emails that touch on how’s the baby? Or how are you feeling since surgery? Send e-gift cards, Christmas presents, and more because our clients are not our clients, they are our guests, whom we are serving with the purpose of making their business great. I have had people start phone calls with me upset and left the phone call overjoyed with how we solved their issue. 

Our clients are not our clients; they are our guests.

How can you make your business better?? Maybe we can help you? Feel free to reach out for a quick chat, we’d love to hear about you and your business. 

www.officeguardians.marketing 

Ask for Stephen, I married him so I can say with certainty, he’s pretty awesome. 

Even if we can’t assist your business, think about the ways you can get your customer service to the next level. Do you have a bizarre policy that makes people annoyed? Think about how to make it better! Don’t just let “this is the rule or this is the way we’ve always done it” be the *cough* dumb *cough* reason you are still doing it. 

Don’t forget to Follow @Officeguardians on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn... I think you’ll like us! ;) 

Don’t let, “this is the rule," be the reason you are still doing it.