Lipsman.com - Main

Culture of Customer Service

I am constantly amazed at how little effort many businesses put into their customer service. It's like they don't seem to realize that their customers, in most cases, have dozens of options from which to buy the identical or nearly identical goods and services. And we care about more than just price.

Last week, while looking for a pair of New Balance running shoes at Sports Authority, I asked if they had more pairs in stock because I did not see my size in stock. The salesperson replied, "Everything we have is out" before walking away. While this may have technically been true, some of the stock "out" was 10 feet up in the air above the main shelves, and may or may not have been rows deep up there. But did he offer to get up and look for my size? Of course not! So I left the store empty-handed.

In stark contrast, today I went into the New Balance store around the corner from my apartment. The second I picked up a shoe off the rack the salesperson commented that they were the updated model to the ones I was presently wearing. He noticed a crease in the shoes I was wearing and said that meant they were a size too small. Tried on the shoes and success! So maybe I paid $5 more than the Sports Authority sale price, but the service I received was worth it.

In another interesting customer service experience I encountered today, I tried Treat, this this new frozen yougurt place nearby. When I got the the table, I realized that the cup of my blizzard-like dessert was barely half full. For $4.25, I expected a full cup! I went back inside and the staff was appologetic and topped off my cup to the appropriate level. When I returned to the table outside, I found out that the owner's wife had overheard my comments! She explained that they were still learning to deal with the new blender, asked whether they remedied the problem and was relieved to hear that they had She thanked me for speaking up. While I may have intitally written off the place, the staff's response and the owner's concern changed my perception of the place 180 degrees in the matter of 5 minutes. If only more businesses could appreciate the importance of customer service.