Looks good doesn't it? This past Saturday evening I stopped at the Strings Italian Cafe here in my community. I had a coupon for a great deal on a dinner entree and was way too tired to cook. I ordered meat ravioli with meat sauce for my husband and fettuccine Alfredo for myself. It was fast, easy and very tasty.
So why was I so tired that I didn't want to face my kitchen?
This past weekend I was one of the participating artists at a 2-day outdoor art event in my community. I was one of 40 who set up their booth in a 10'x10' spot on the grounds of beautiful Alden Lane Nursery. The day was perfect: not too hot, slight breeze; nice people; I loved my booth location; had great sales...but a long day nevertheless. My husband was out-of-town during the day and not able to help with setting up so I did my own "schlepping" and set-up. And, although we were able to leave the display racks up overnight, the artists needed to pack up all their artwork and valuables and take them home for the night and re-set them on Sunday morning. So. By dinnertime Saturday cooking just wasn't on my schedule...I didn't even want to go out. Strings was a great compromise.
Now to the point of the title of my post: I often write about customer service and the importance of a business in having a good plan for such. You don't always hear about the customer service at the point of the sale...but it is vital to conducting a pleasant buying encounter. The buying experience I had at Strings was a 10-pointer in Olympic counting. Doesn't get better.
I stopped at the establishment on my way home. I was dusty and sweaty and still wearing my sunhat. I approached the counter with my coupon and said I wanted a "to go" order. The young man who greeted me said he'd get the "take out expert" to help me. A second young man came to the counter and I have to say he was friendly, helpful, professional and made the end of a very long day a good one. As I was waiting for the order to be filled he asked if I would like a complimentary soft drink and quickly filled my request for an iced tea. The bag he brought me was large - full of containers - and he opened the door for me so I didn't have to fumble with the bag, my purse and the iced tea.
This point-of-sale customer service by this employee and this eatery is in strong contrast with a very unpleasant example just two weeks prior at a store in my local mall. As is my habit, I don't mention the name of businesses who deserve a negative remark, so I will only tell you that I entered the store to purchase a supply of a favorite ingredient I use with my special recipe for iced tea. It is a wonderful blend of organic fruits and flowers that adds the perfect note to my combination of green and herbal peach teas.
Helping me at the counter that day was a young woman. The encounter began well enough with her smiling and greeting me. I told her what I wanted...I knew the name of the mixture and the amount I wanted. However. She was determined to sell me more than I wanted both in quantity of the mixture I asked for but also she wanted me to purchase a quantity of a second mixture. I was polite in telling her no thanks, just this please. Three times she interrupted me to nearly argue her desire for me to purchase more. I very nearly canceled my purchase right then...but I wanted that mixture in that amount and gosh darn it, I was the customer!
Point-of-sale customer service can not only make-or-break an individual buying encounter, negative experiences can cause a business to lose customers and gain a bad reputation.
I had all this in mind this past weekend as I tried my best to give each customer at my art booth a positive buying encounter. "Please," "Thank You," "Would you like a bag to put your cards in?" and engaging customers in conversations goes a long way to promoting good will.
Linda, Thanks for pointing out that the notable part of your experience was the excellent customer service. Sure the meal was tasty, but I would become a customer because of your experience with the service. It is sad that so many businesses neglect the customer service aspect so that it is notable when you encounter one that does it well. Lesson for small business owners, set yourself apart from the big guys with EXCEPTIONAL service. Beautiful artwork Linda.
Posted by: Grace Becker | Aug 06, 2010 at 04:41 AM
every day,every hour,and every minute is special; and you don't know if it will be your last. Therefore, we must cherish the time.
Posted by: coach handbags | Jul 26, 2010 at 05:45 PM