For Want of a Nail…
Published by Bob Foster
Almost every day I encounter another example of what contributes to the failure of small businesses, or at least what makes them miss real success. Today was no exception:
I stopped at a Saxby’s coffee shop that I had been into a few times. During my last visit the clerk at the cash register gave me a plastic “coffee card” and said the next time I came in with my coupon and “loaded” the card with $20 I would get a free cup of coffee.
So, today I gave the card and the coupon to a different clerk and told her to load up $20 and I’d take my free cup of coffee. The clerk informed me they didn’t do that. I said “…one of your clerks gave me this card the other day and said you did do that.” The clerk rudely insinuated that I was lying, but the Barista was standing close by and said, “Yeah, we do that.” That’s when the clerk stomped over to the manager’s closed door and knocked. The manager came to the door and spoke with the clerk, telling her “no deal”—the customer can give us his $20 to load the card, but no free coffee. I paid for my cup of coffee and left. Will I ever return? Not likely, at least not until they advertise “under new management.”
Obviously, considering my penchant for coffee, a free cup of coffee has absolutely no effect on my coffee budget. A free cup of coffee, a “sample,” or a friendly “thank-you” are simply gestures…they tell the customer they are welcome and appreciated and that the business wants them to come back. These kinds of gestures are inexpensive and much more effective than hundreds of dollars worth of advertising.
What was wrong here?
- The manager of this small business stays holed-up in her office instead of spending time out on the floor with her employees and customers. The few times I was there, I never saw the manager come out of her office.
- The manager obviously had not adequately trained her staff. Each clerk had a different understanding of the store policy—not to mention the rude approach of the last clerk involved.
- The manager missed a great chance to make a long-term loyal customer, and she blew it—she missed the importance of the “gesture.” She made me think she didn’t care if I every returned or not. Success does not come from taking your customers or clients for granted, or treating them with disdain.
If this were an isolated incident, it would be ridiculous to even mention it, but, unfortunately, disdain for customers seems to be the norm—it happens to all of us way too often. If you have a small business, you cannot afford to treat your customers with disdain. Show your appreciation for their business with an occasional “gesture.” Sometimes a friendly smile, or a pat on the back and a “thank you” is all it takes.
“In this age of email, supercomputer power on the desktop, the Internet, and the raucous global village, attentiveness—a token of human kindness—is the greatest gift we can give someone.”
—Tom Peters
Each of us is only one customer or client, but remember the old rhyme: For want of a nail, a shoe was lost, for want of a shoe, a horse was lost, for want of a horse, a battle was lost, for want of a battle, a kingdom was lost?
So, for want of a customer…..
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4 Responses to “For Want of a Nail…”
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Good writing. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed my Google News Reader..
Matt Hanson
Hi Bob. It truly is much easier and less expensive to keep your current customers than piss them off never to return and go out and find new ones.
What I have found in my experience is that these problems like you mentioned above start at the hiring phase. You simply need to hire the right people.
Wow Bob – that’ must have been a good cup of coffee since you actually stayed around to pay for it! Service like that makes me just turn around and leave empty handed!
So is this a chain of coffee shops or a single store – owner/operator? I find that the smaller “mom & pop” shops usually care more about customer satisfaction in the service business, but then when Starbucks came on the scene that changed that a bit as well, though I think their model too has eroded, as has the quality.
It IS possible to hire good people – but even management has to be managed and monitored. Whenever I encounter poor customer service I pity the clueless clerk and blame the manager, who, as you mentioned, is usually MIA.
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Let me share some “good news”!! My wife and I went to The Bamboo Club” in Scottsdale, AZ. for lunch as we had a coupon good for a free lunch if another were purchased. Greg our waiter came by and asked if we had ever been there before. Upon learning that this was indeed our first time, he knelt down on one knee and told us about their food, how it is prepared, which dishes their public orders most and which dishes were the staff favorites. He spent a lot of time with us indoctrinating us to their restaurant which certainly added to the experience. This was such a different customer service experience, I just had to share it with you!! Too bad it is the one good experience in a thousand experiences we remember!!