Tis’ the Season for Customer Service

 

I, along with just about every other person in my community, did the unthinkable and stopped into my local grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving. I knew I was in for an exciting shopping adventure as soon as I spotted local police officers directing traffic in and out of the store parking lot.

I promised myself I would stick to my list and make as few unnecessary stops as possible. I put on my shopping game-face, whipped out my trusty list and began the arduous task of navigating my cart down the aisles with the same speed and precision as Mario Andretti in the Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship. Knowing the day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year in the grocery store business, I kept my expectations in check in terms of customer service.

Training in customer service and interacting with employees from a multitude of companies, time and again I’ve heard employees talk about the stress involved in providing professional, consistent customer service, especially during high-traffic times. It’s not uncommon for employees to retreat to the “gitty up, gitty out” mentality in an effort to provide service to each customer as quickly as possible. Customer Service training can fall to the sidelines when employees feel overwhelmed with seemingly endless lines of customers. I was prepared for a less than optimal customer experience.

Turning the corner and headed to the Deli Counter, the massive line of customers swarming the counter came into clear view. I contemplated turning back but nixed the idea remembering the main reason for my outing was to purchase pancetta for that evening’s dinner. I bellied up to the counter, snatched a number from the ticket dispenser and resigned myself to a sad and lengthy wait.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a man with a Santa Hat coming from behind the counter, providing customers deli snacks with good cheer! As customers placed their deli meat and cheese orders, the crew behind the counter cut additional slices and passed samples out to those in line. There was singing, laughing – everyone working was wearing a festive hat or headband. Customers waiting in line didn’t seem to mind the wait, and because of the extensive sampling, most left purchasing much more than they anticipated. I, for one, left with enough meat and cheese to make a great platter for football watching – something I didn’t anticipate on purchasing but based on the great samples I indulged in during my wait, it was a perfect purchase.

Bottom line, this store stayed true to their customer service training. They knew this was going to be a high-traffic and extremely busy day. They were prepared ahead of time with creating a festive mood, they smiled and still took time to engage with their customers and above everything else, they proved to have the balance between being effective and efficient — a balance, which for some, can be hard to meet.

So how can companies win their customers hearts this holiday season? Aside from price and product, it comes down to customer experience. Customer Service requires year-round dedication – pricing and marketing gimmicks might entice customers to shop, but it’s the experience that will retain them and keep them coming back again and again.