No “5-15” Jobs Here!
The Magnetic Group - Ziggy | January 5, 2010 Happy New Year, everyone! We're raring to go in 2010, and hope you're off to a great start.
As opposed to the dubious 5-15 jobs we’ve been discussing, here are some unscripted and genuine examples of customer service providers going above and beyond.
At the Pet Shop
Recently, a customer was purchasing a 40-pound bag of dog food from a pet store. As the cashier scanned the bag’s UPC, she noticed that there was a rip in the side of the bag, so she immediately reached for a roll of packaging tape and patched the tear.
Scripted? Not at all. The employee was simply paying attention and had been trained to look for opportunities to provide assistance outside the normal call of duty.
And how did that customer feel? He was elated. He found this little, unexpected, and proactive act very reassuring that he was buying from “good people.”
At a restaurant
Last summer, the Midwest experienced a sweltering heat wave. Two customers at a restaurant had already paid their bill and were preparing to leave.
As they were standing up, their server (who had already been paid) came by a final time and offered to bring them both ice waters in to-go cups to help them stay cool in the heat.
Necessary? Not at all.
These customers were also elated.
And we know they were elated because all of these customers are actually in-store evaluators employed by our mystery shopping division, and we have first-hand reports from all of them describing these small acts and the gratitude they felt in response.
So you don’t need to script acts of generosity. But you do need to foster an environment where employees actively seek these opportunities and have the resources and support to follow-through on them.
Reader Comments (2)
While in Washington DC recently, my wife tripped and bummed up her knee pretty well. Stopping by a Smithsonian gift shop several hours later to get some pain reliever, the cashier noticed she looked a little peeked and asked my wife if she wanted a bottle of water to go with it. Before my wife could practically get the "Yes, that's a good idea" out of her mouth, the cashier was already headed to the case to get the water for her. We thought it was very nice of her to do that.
I dropped my trusty Blackberry Monday morning. The center ball and the ring that held it in fell out. I retrieved them both, and made a mental note to go buy a Blackberry after a morning meeting. After the meeting, I went to the Sprint store in Clarksville, and told them, "I need to buy a new Blackberry. Here's why." I showed it to them. The representative took it, found a new ring to hold the track ball in, and came back in under 2 minutes with it fixed, and not only that had replaced the track ball because he said mine was dirty. I stood there stunned and said an entirely inadequate thanks.
I was fully prepared to purchase a new Blackberry - but he fixed it. I've been a Sprint customer for 10 years, ever since I bought my very first cell phone. Instances like this are why I'll stay.