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By Gary Christensen
This is part of a Letter I wrote and sent to the employer of a store I visit frequently. I observed one of his employees "meeting the needs of his customers" and I just had to write the store manager and let him know I was impressed by that employee!
"I am NOT seeking praise from YOU for my writing this letter,.. nor am I trying to impress you with my letter writing abilities, but, out of this letter came some lessons about giving good customer service and I wanted to share them with you."
I mention some of the employee's actions:
"I've been into your store several times, using your self-serve copiers. While making my copies, one evening last week, I noticed a young lady working at your store located on (name of) Road, 'Debbie' by name, and I feel she is a Customer Service Representative Par Excellence!!
The number of times I have written a letter like this, praising someone for giving GOOD Customer Service, can be counted on the fingers of one of my hands! It's not often that I see what I
saw at your store, or at any other store! But I saw a lot that evening, and I leaned a lot, too!
In the short time I was there, making my copies, I saw Debbie giving EXCELLENT customer service. She wins my 'Vowels of Service' Award! She has her "A; E; I; O and U" down pat!
'A' is for her being 'All There' -- Debbie was 'completely there, and fully at her job!' She was watching each customer at the self-serve machines. One fellow on a machine next to me was bending and looking over his machine. He seemed to be trying to find something. I saw Debbie grab a ream of paper and go
over to his machine. Sure enough, he had run out of paper; his machine had stopped and he was trying to figure out what was wrong. Debbie knew! She had the paper and was at his machine loading it before he even THOUGHT about going to the counter to ask for assistance!
'E' is for her 'Enthusiasm' -- Debbie had smiles and 'Thank You's' for each customer! She obviously was enjoying her work and seemed to like working with people. She's what I call a 'People Person.' Some employee's do their job, but, in actuality, many are just 'putting in their time' with their bodies, while their minds are on what they REALLY want to do AFTER they get off work! Debbie seemed happy where she was, in mind & body! You could see it in her actions and in her smiles!
'I' is for her 'Instruction' -- Some employees help you every time, and you will need their help every time. But, if they are instructed while they are being helped, they are better able to help themselves next time! (Not that you want customers clearing jams or 'doing Debbie's job' for her), but, Debbie saw that she could instruct as she helped, and that she's 'training people to be better customers!' If I am instructed and told why a machine is doing what it's doing; told how to make better copies, I will feel better about running a copier the correct way! And I saw Debbie guiding; explaining and teaching as she helped your customers!
'O' is for 'Observation' -- Some employees observe what's happening without really seeing! A young couple came into (name of store) and went to one of the self-serve machines. I saw them looking at one of the copiers and starting to push buttons, but, before I could tell them that they needed a "copier key" to
make the machine work, Debbie had observed them; knew what they needed; had grabbed a key and was showing them where to put it in!
'U' simply stands for YOU .. As in 'We're here to serve YOU!' Debbie was 'All there' .. She was 'Enthusiastic' .. she was 'Instructive' .. she was 'Observant' and she was there to help meet the needs of all the YOU's that came through the door of (your store)!
I learned from Debbie's actions. Maybe others will learn from her actions, too!"
(After I wrote this letter, and thought more about Debbie's actions, I went over those "Vowels of Service" and asked myself if I am 'All there' when I deal with customers? Am I giving just minimal service,.. just enough to get by, or am I really involved? The kind of involvement that's required when driving a car,.. fully there; fully alert; anticipating and observing others!
What about my 'Enthusiasm'? Do I smile and am I really happy to see a customer? What about 'Instructing' my customers as I sell them my products or services? Am I helping them to become better customers? Do I KNOW what my customer needs before he asks, or calls or writes me? Am I really putting my customers needs first? Really trying to meet their needs?
Watching Debbie in action really spoke to me! I pray I will be a better sales-person and Customer Representative to my customers!
(Debbie is NOT her real name..)
This article written by Gary Christensen, a freelance writer and self-published author of 8 books and over 100 original reports. E-mail: Gary@demc.com Mail: Gary Christensen, 999 N.W. Sycamore Ave., Corvallis, OR 97330
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