March 20, 2006
“Service with an Attitude” or “How to Lose $1,000 Without Really Trying”
For the last three years I have been a loyal customer of the Sun Shoppe, a cute little coffee shop/restaurant with free WiFi access and friendly service. I visit the store about 4 times a week and spend about $5 a visit. My $20 a week adds up to about $1,000 a year which, after today’s experience, I am going to spend elsewhere.
About a year about, Marc sold the business and things began to change. The first thing to change was the decorations (a major upgrade), then the atmosphere changed. Instead of being greeted by the friendly owner, customers were greeted by a series of ever changing college students. Over time, the changes in the staff resulted in a significant downgrade in the quality of the service. But at least they had free WiFi access.
The service reached a new low today. I ordered a caramel macchiato (I saw they had macchiato on the board, so I thought adding caramel wouldn't’t be a problem. The girl at cash register didn’t think it would be a problem so she took my money and told me she would bring it out to my table.
Five minutes later, a scraggly looking guy brings my drink to me. No caramel, cinnamon instead. I asked him if this was a caramel macchiato and he said, “No, we don’t make those.” Okay, I thought, I will just get something else. I asked him to take my drink back as I explained that the clerk had said they could make the drink I requested. He responded, “She is my little sister and she doesn’t know.” And as he walked away he added, “We aren’t Starbucks.”
Being a regular Starbucks customer, I was well aware that the Sun Shoppe wasn’t Starbucks and I told him as much as I got up to go to the counter to get a new drink.
When we both arrived at the counter he proceeded to tell me that he didn’t like my attitude and that he was the owner (a lie, his dad is the owner) and that he could refuse to serve anyone for any reason. But I was an “awesome customer” and he didn’t want to not serve me.
Too late. It’s rarely a great idea to give customers “attitude.” It’s never a great idea to threaten them. Just as the owner’s son can refuse service to anyone, a customer can refuse to do business with anyone that doesn’t provide adequate service. If businesses don’t give you the service and attitude you deserve, vote with your feet and spend your money elsewhere.
Businesses can avoid this type of situation by doing a few simple things:
1. Train your employees on products and services. Everyone should know what you will or won’t do. It is not an acceptable excuse to say that the employee is new or “she is your little sister.”
2. Teach your employees the value of a loyal customer. If employees think of the value of a customer as equal to their last transaction, they won’t treat them with the respect and care they deserve. Help employees see that a lot of small transactions over time can add up to a lot of money over a year and the lifetime of a customer.
3. Develop problem resolution skills. The job of the service provider is to diffuse the situation, not to prove who is right or establish who is in control. “I’m sorry for the confusion, can I get you another drink?” will go a lot farther towards creating a happy customer than blaming your sister or telling the customer you are not Starbucks.
4. Remember the customer may not always be right, but the customer is always the customer. If you value them and their business, treat them like you want them to come back.
It’s time for a cup of coffee. I am off to Starbucks!
Posted by Greg Robinson at March 20, 2006 03:10 PM
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Good article. Isn't it amazing that anyone in retail can be so "insensitive" toward customers - or just plain stupid. My husband is in retail & very big on offering excellent customer service. If we experience bad food, service, or bad anything, we never give the establishment a second chance.
Posted by: Elaine Anwander at March 24, 2006 05:41 AM
Yes, very good read. No matter the size of the company customer service will always affect your bottom line and your employees are your front line of defense, they become the face and voice of your company, if you do not train them and check thier performance it is your fault as an owner. This is where a simple customer feeback box can save the day.
Posted by: Karen Collet at March 24, 2006 10:25 AM
Interesting addendum to this experience. A few days after my experience a friend of mine went to the Sun Shoppe to pick up a sandwich order that she had phoned in. There were a few people waiting to order who told her to go a head of them since she was picking up the order.
The clerk seemed to be preoccupied with something else so my friend asked her if anyone else was working the cash register that could take her money for the order she had phoned in. The clerk's response was a curt "no" and she would just have to wait like everybody else. When told that she was picking up an order, the clerk said "I guess you are just not used to waiting. If you don't like it you can go somewhere else."
Not surprisingly, my friend was shocked. She asked the clerk if she was telling her to take her business elsewhere to which the clerk replied, "yes". My friend promptly left the store as did the two other people who were in line a witnessed the encounter.
Posted by: Greg at March 24, 2006 11:59 AM
Hi,
Not to worry... evolution has a way to take care of the lame or unfit. I'm sure that in time, your little coffee house will go the way of the dinasours. While I'm sure we all know of many businesses that are being run by the "idiot son" of the founder, most parents stay close enough to "junior" to undo most of his damage.
Posted by: bob sieminski at March 24, 2006 02:26 PM
It is sad that the owners of these business's hire inexperienced young people who basically have no people skills to save money. And when their business starts to go away, wonder what happened to their business and why are their customers not returning.
I have left many business's, (never to return) because of these types of situations.
Posted by: Ed at March 24, 2006 04:20 PM
Good article. Isn't it amazing that anyone in retail can be so "insensitive" toward customers - or just plain stupid. My husband is in retail & very big on offering excellent customer service. If we experience bad food, service, or bad anything, we never give the establishment a second chance.
Yes, very good read. No matter the size of the company customer service will always affect your bottom line and your employees are your front line of defense, they become the face and voice of your company, if you do not train them and check thier performance it is your fault as an owner. This is where a simple customer feeback box can save the day.
Interesting addendum to this experience. A few days after my experience a friend of mine went to the Sun Shoppe to pick up a sandwich order that she had phoned in. There were a few people waiting to order who told her to go a head of them since she was picking up the order.
The clerk seemed to be preoccupied with something else so my friend asked her if anyone else was working the cash register that could take her money for the order she had phoned in. The clerk's response was a curt "no" and she would just have to wait like everybody else. When told that she was picking up an order, the clerk said "I guess you are just not used to waiting. If you don't like it you can go somewhere else."
Not surprisingly, my friend was shocked. She asked the clerk if she was telling her to take her business elsewhere to which the clerk replied, "yes". My friend promptly left the store as did the two other people who were in line a witnessed the encounter.
Hi,
Not to worry... evolution has a way to take care of the lame or unfit. I'm sure that in time, your little coffee house will go the way of the dinasours. While I'm sure we all know of many businesses that are being run by the "idiot son" of the founder, most parents stay close enough to "junior" to undo most of his damage.
It is sad that the owners of these business's hire inexperienced young people who basically have no people skills to save money. And when their business starts to go away, wonder what happened to their business and why are their customers not returning.
I have left many business's, (never to return) because of these types of situations.
