I walked into a local nail salon today and realized that they didn’t know a thing about giving good customer service or providing a great customer service experience.
My intention was to purchase a gift certificate for a client of mine for her birthday. When I walked in, there were four nail techs working on customers. The one closest to me didn’t look up, make eye contact. She just raised her voice and said “Hello, pick a color and have a seat.”
So, I turned around and walked out.
It’s not a huge deal and isn’t going to alter my world, but I’m not going to pay $50 to someone who doesn’t have the courtesy to make eye contact, greet me with a friendly greeting, and ask me how they may help me. She made an incorrect assumption about what I wanted and barked out orders to me. So, I’ll find something else for my client.
Small businesses have the power to drive the economy and to thrive right now. But it’s amazing to me how many just fail to understand that it takes a simple focus on the customer. Treating people well. Engaging with customers. Smiling. Getting to know what our needs/problems/issues/goals are. Asking for feedback. These are all the simple things that I cover in my 5 Steps to More Loyal Customers emanual. Large companies can do the same thing, yet customers tend to gravitate toward the smaller businesses because there is more of a personal touch, a connection, that sometimes is lost in the bigger companies and organizations.
Connecting with customers is much simpler than most people and businesses realize. It just takes a conviction from the leaders and owners that there needs to be a mindset shift on how they serve the customers. They need to instill this to everyone works with customers, either face to face or behind the scenes. So, basically, everyone in the company. Because if you aren’t working face to face with a customer, you are working to support someone who does.