On the way home school pick up one day last week, I brought my three girls to a local Whole Foods Market for a few groceries. While we don't shop there exclusively, we go for fresh produce, seafood, their cheese selection, the wine and, most importantly, customer service.
Whenever I've been wandering aimlessly down an aisle appearing completely lost (which happens all too often), usually someone is there to guide me in the right direction. What's more, they stop what they are doing, answer my questions and make recommendations. If they don't have the exact item I am seeking, they help me identify a good alternative.
On this particular day, we made it through the store pretty easily. As usual, my two youngest wanted to sit in the double-seater car in front of the shopping cart. The older is getting a little too big to do that, and I told her as much. As we were nearing the end of our trip, she decided it was too cramped and got out. The youngest then wanted out as well. When I told her to stay in the car, the tantrum started.
We made our way to the checkout, tears flowing (hers not mine...yet), the occasional "I'm mad at you, Daddy" and sideways glances from other patrons. While unloading the cart, a young lady that was helping bag groceries pulled out a basket of snacks and approached the banshee hoping to soothe her. The youngest took a box of raisins and my other grabbed other treats. Amazingly, the crying subsided, and we were able to complete the transaction and get out of the store without further incident.
When I told my wife the story, she quickly informed me that they always offer those to kids for free. I, obviously, had not been aware of that tidbit. But it didn't really matter whether I had known about it or not. The fact remains, the staff at Whole Foods continue to serve their customers. They are living and openly demonstrating one of their core values:
Extraordinary Customer Service
We go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy and delight our customers. We want to meet or exceed their expectations on every shopping trip. We know that by doing so we turn customers into advocates for our business. Advocates do more than shop with us, they talk about Whole Foods to their friends and others. We want to serve our customers competently, efficiently, knowledgeably and with flair.
What more can you do to emulate this kind of customer service? Do your actions and behaviors match your core values? Do you have a set of core values? Are they written down? Where people can see them?
If you are not satisfying (no, delighting) your customers, you are not setting yourself up for successful, long-term growth.
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