Are you being Served?

By Tina Zawila

Good service.  What is it?  Why is it so hard to find? Who cares?

Ask someone what they love about their favourite cafe, restaurant or shop, and usually their reply will include a comment about the service they receive.  Sure, they might say the coffee (or other product) is great, but this is usually followed by something like “they know my order”, “they’re always friendly/helpful”, “I feel welcome”.  And usually it’s this part of the buying experience – the service – that will either make or break it.  

Good service is the X-Factor.  It can set your business apart and make you stand out in a sea of sameness.

These days as consumers we are spoilt for choice, however we are also creatures of habit.  Generally once we find something, somewhere or someone we like, we will go back time and time again.  This repeat custom to a business owner is invaluable, not to mention that a happy customer will usually tell others.

So why is good service often hard to find?  What does it actually take to deliver top quality service?  What do we need to do?

In my opinion it comes down to one thing – we need to CARE.

If we truly CARE about our customer’s experience, we will provide excellent service.  We need to put ourselves in our customer’s shoes and think about how we would like to be treated, what we would want or need, and then deliver just that.   It’s not rocket science.

The phrase “go the extra mile” makes it sound like good service takes a lot of effort, however, it’s often the little things, such as a smile, a greeting, or a genuine offer to help, that can make all the difference.

As a business owner/leader, you need to ensure your team members CARE about your customers as much as you do.  After all, their livelihood also relies on your customers.

Take some time to think about what it’s like to do business with you, identify any opportunities for improvement, and implement changes.  

At Sothertons we are committed to improving business in our community, call us today on 49721300 if we can be of service to you.