Be Brilliant at the Basics

Customer Service

By Wendy Baldwin

I recently read a blog about customer service that said, “In a way, creating good customer service is almost exactly like fighting terrorism. Homeland Security has to succeed every time, while a terrorist only has to succeed once.” Good customer service has to happen every single time. The one time it doesn’t will cost you in many ways. As a society, we don’t expect great customer service. In fact, if we have a positive experience with a customer service representative, we tend to be surprised. Sadly enough, businesses can treat customers with average levels of service and still be ahead of the game.

In the late 1970s, my grandfather owned a Kerr McGee service station in Shelbyville, Missouri. This was the only service station in town and within a 20-mile radius. When you pulled up for fuel, a uniformed attendant rushed over, greeted you, fueled up your car, cleaned your windows, and checked your oil. This attendant waited for you to arrive and actually ran to service you. There was no competition for my grandfather, and he still insisted on this level of service. In the 1970s, this was standard. For some reason, our standards have been lowered, and our expectations of quality service have been lowered with them.

In my opinion, this is great news as a customer service provider. I have the opportunity to impress every customer. At Woople, we never stop trying to create world-class, quality customer service experiences that can ripple through our existing and potential client base. The best acts of customer service are the small things that reinforce the loyalty of our customers, such as a handwritten thank you note or a “Glad you’re still with us!” email. Be kind, take action, and be brilliant at the basics!