A Guide to Great Service

I am a good service junkie. Some people love cars or watches. I love a great customer experience. Whether in a restaurant, grocery store, or a doctor’s office, a superb customer experience is a work of art and makes me want to come back again and again.

We have all experienced the worst in customer service: your local cable provider is as bad as it gets, followed closely by your bank. Having someone apologize for lousy service doesn’t make it any better.

I first learned about the art of the customer experience at a seminar over 20 years ago at the world-renowned deli Zingerman’s.  Yes, a deli, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

From the moment you walk into Zingerman’s, you are king. There are samples of food displayed everywhere. Enthusiastic sales people are scrambling to answer any question you have. If you want to taste a Sicilian olive oil, they’ll crack it open. They know that an engaged customer is a happy customer who will come back time and time again.

If you want to read about the art of giving great service, I suggest you order a copy of Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service by Ari Weinzweig, www.zingermans.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=P-ARI-7.

What prompted me to write about great customer experience was a trip I took with my daughter to her dermatologist. Granted, this is a fancy Upper East Side dermatologist who does not take insurance, but the experience was great—you almost don’t care that you have to remortgage your apartment when you check out.

When you enter this doctor’s office, you are immediately made to feel relaxed and happy. The walls and carpet are a rich cream color, there is beautiful comfortable furniture to melt into, and your favorite music is playing on a super chill Pandora playlist (think Dave Matthews meets Van Morrison.)

While my daughter was being treated, the doctor noticed a burn I had on my wrist from a cooking mishap. She didn’t like the way it looked, and without saying a word, her nurse began bathing my wrist in hydrogen peroxide. A baggie of bandages and “special” antibiotic cream was prepared for me. All of this with no words exchanged.

After we were done, we walked over to settle our bill. We were greeted by a very pleasant young exchequer, and there on the counter beside her was a glass vase filled with the best caramels I have ever had. I popped one in my mouth and eyed my daughter, signaling her to throw a few more in her pocket.

 

My daughter thinks I am crazy to feel so happy about a trip to the doctor, but this was an unbelievable customer experience. Who ever says they had a great experience at the doctor’s office? Usually the waiting room has uncomfortable generic furniture, torn-up old copies of People magazine, unhappy receptionists, and no Van Morrison playing in the background. Certainly no delicious caramels. This doctor has made every effort to wow you from the moment you walk through the front door. You are happy to be there.

If you are in the service business, think about your customers’ experience. Have you thought about every possible step and how it might be improved? Are you meeting or surpassing your customers’ expectations? Do your customers value your service, your expertise? Do customers rave about you to their friends and colleagues? If not, it’s time to think about how you really want to be treated and do that for your customers.