Better Business Bureau Serving Southwest Idaho & Eastern Oregon Blog

I’ve made my second cross-country business trip in eight days.  I’ve been exposed to the good, the bad and the ho-hum regarding customer service.  Let’s take a look at the three versions.  Then, I challenge small business owners to think about your employee interaction with customers.

The good: Airlines are running past capacity now more than ever.  Every flight is full. There were 50 stand-bys waiting for zero seats on one of my flights.  Agents and flight attendants who understand human nature and anticipate 300 frustrated customers who are tired, wrinkled and delayed – make a flight bearable.  Good customer service starts with the employee feeling ownership in the company.  They can make independent decisions to offer solutions.  On the flip side, they are equipped with ALL of the information so they can explain why they can not offer a solutions.  I was talking with a chiropractor friend.  He said rule one in his office is:  No one is allowed to have a bad day.  When the team comes in the door, it’s all smiles and all about the customer.  What happened at home, on the drive in or what’s anticipated that night is irrelevant.  It’s not considered by the customer.

The bad: they frown, they bark, they do the bare minimum. They leave an indelible mark: I won’t fly here, stay here, shop here, buy here again.  By the way, I’ll tell everyone about the terrible experience.

The ho-hum: Um..I don’t remember. Yes, that’s the customer’s response.  The experience was not memorable.  It was just another of the hundreds of interactions we each have everyday. 

Bottom line: empower your employees to offer great customer service. Give them tools to offer solutions.  Stress the importance of empathy.  Be memorable.

Dale