Quality Customer Service Skills Sidestep The Soup Nazi

The other day I stopped by a well known sandwich franchise to buy a $7.00 cup of soup.  It was 5:15pm and I was one of four customers in the restaurant.  In fact the ratio of employees to customers was 2 to 1.  I had no problem being served the soup but paying for it was a different story.  It appeared the woman taking care of the cash register duties was talking with a customer about catering a party.  I stood there for a good 5 minutes without acknowledgment.  At this point I was contemplating putting the cheddar broccoli soup down and walking out the door.  As I was setting the soup down on the counter the woman from the bakery section, who had been there watching me all along, must have sensed that I was making that decision and sashayed over to the register. 

Superior customer service will prevail over a quality product and cut rate pricing.  No customer wants to be treated like they are an inconvenience and no one should tolerate a product/service that is not up to standards. Starbucks Coffee has got it right.  A coffee house where I am greeted by name with a smile and the barista remembers my order.  Sure the coffee is good but I return time and again because of the exceptional customer service experience.

As a telephone answering service owner I know quality customer service takes constant and consistent attention and effort.  And a willingness to create, institute and adhere to customer service policies. It is the cog in our company culture’s wheel and we are determined to keep that wheel spinning.

Gail Gamertsfelder
VP/CAO A Better Connection, Inc.