Here in the Philippines, Christmas time equates a mad rush of shopping frenzy. Parking lots overflow into the streets, and so expect terrible traffic jams!
So if you were to test an establishment's customer service, this is the best time to do it. Is there grace under pressure?
I went to SM Makati last night, and as I expected, the mall was packed, the lines to the cashiers are long. But I have to hand it to SM for the following:
- Their sales personnel are on the floor ready to help shoppers.
- The sales people are very friendly; greets shoppers and really go out of their way to help, find, dig up sizes of shoes, clothing, and what have you.
- Plenty of checkout counters are placed in strategic areas of the department store. I like it that in every counter, there is a box of Christmas wrappers, Christmas paper bags, ribbons, and small greeting cards. It makes things so convenient.
- Their cashiers ar fast, may your transaction be in cash or credit card!
- SM has practically everything you need in one place.
From my experience, SM people have really been trained well when it comes serving shoppers. If they sustain this, they'll be assured of repeat business with happy customers.
Interestingly, I stumbled upon an article, titled Good Customer service is Key to Capturing Holiday Shoppers. According to the article, 60 percent shop more often at certain online sites, and 50 percent shop more often at specific retail stores, because of a good customer experience. You can read about it more here.