SmallBusinessNewz

Advice on customer service can be summed up in three words: make it good.  A couple of interesting examples may cause a new and somewhat closer examination to be worthwhile, though.

First comes a story from Bill Hogg, who was more or less ignored within an auto body shop.  He writes, "As a result of this experience, I will probably take my business elsewhere rather than dealing with this company in spite of the fact they had been specifically referred by the insurance company as a trusted supplier. . . .  No one [was] rude or treated me badly, yet, the poor customer service pushed me away."

Some of us might think that good car specialists are entitled to act snobby, and, if their work is really first-rate, a few kicks to the ribs might even be okay.  But that's beside the point, because Hogg's encounter caused him to lean towards spending his insurer's $3,000 at another shop.  So going beyond not-rudeness will at least sometimes be necessary.

Then, for better or for worse, there's behavior towards the opposite end of the scale.  According to Eugene Scott, a couple of Phoenix restaurant owners drove to pick up a would-be customer who had wrecked his car.  He was wet, so they loaned him some clothing, and even reopened the kitchen that had already closed.

Special treatment like that might go too far; the customer probably feels obligated to offer an organ or something.  But if he falls short of self-mutilation and instead dines out once a week, the experience may work in the restaurant's favor.

Perhaps what we can learn from these examples is that good service is subjective.  Although it won't be the easiest route, tailoring things to your customers' needs may be the best approach.