It Is all About the Coffee
We have talked numerous times over the years about customer services and the standards for which we should be striving. There is never a time when customer service standards should be compromised or sacrificed for something else. I am not going to spend time going over the standards of customer service but what I do want to do is emphasize the importance of those standards in today’s world.
Take a minute and look around at what is happening. People are busier now than they have ever been before and people have more choices for their goods and services than ever. Every time I turn around, there is another company offering to refinance my mortgage or another company that can make my grass greener. In short, people have so many choices and your job is to make sure that you are the choice more often than not. Once again, this is certainly not a new concept and we have discussed it numerous times in the past but I had a reminder lately of how important those standards of customer service are.
Gas prices are high everywhere and I understand that local gas stations have little to no control over those prices but that does not mean their customer service should suffer. I recently purchased gas twice in two days. The first day, I went to a station where the price was a little higher than the place across the street but I was in a hurry and it was easier to get in and out of this particular station. The person working there was friendly and even told me that if I purchased at least twenty dollars of gas, then I would be eligible for a free coffee or bottle of pop. It may not sound like much but for a guy who forgot his coffee at home, it was a nice surprise.
The next day as I went to fill up my wife’s car, I thought about going across the street because it was a little cheaper. Then I remembered the service that I had received from the other place the day before and I found myself turning in there almost without even thinking about it. I think that sometimes we forget that most people, while they want the best deal possible, want to be treated right and made to feel special. One free cup of coffee made me forget the high price of gas, if only for a moment.
FINAO – Brad Huisken – IAS TRAINING
