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So, Is There Something I Can Get For
You Right Away?
By Marsha Lindquist
Have you ever been seated in a restaurant for what seems eternity and NO ONE asks if you wanted or needed anything? You are overlooked. If your answer to this question is a resounding ?yes?, you are certainly not alone. You can substitute the restaurant setting for a clothing outlet, book store, or meat counter at your local specialty market. The point is that most of the time these days, we are not treated the way we want and ought to be treated. We live in a self-service world. We are ignored most of the time.
Fast forward this scenario to anywhere in Midwest USA. Now, those people know how to serve! They greet you with a smile, quickly. They ask you, almost before you’ve taken your coat off, ?So, is there something I can get for you right away?? I love that line. It brings joy to my heart whenever I hear it. Customer Service must have been born in the Midwest. Is it because the pace is a little more relaxed or are these people just happy to be serving you? Is it they are smarter and know you can go somewhere else or do they know what makes you happy? Is it because they just want as many of the customers to keep coming back or do they want your successful service song to be sung to all who you know. I think it’s because they know the value of your business ? purely that.
If you give people the kind of customer service that brings your clientele back again and again, you have created a following. When that happens, those people start speaking in glowing words to their friends and whoever else will listen to how great the service is at The Wayout Inn. Now you are beginning to have passionate devotees. The next thing you know, you have people wondering what you are doing right ? and most of them can’t quite figure it out. But they keep coming back. It’s just too simple. The formula is just three steps ? an easy dance.
* Do what you love doing for your customers.
* Give your customers what they need and make it easy for them.
* Add enhancements only after you can handle the basics right.
In fact, I could complicate the dance and add a few more steps, a few more dips and turns, and a few more intricate patterns. It’s just not necessary. Do these three for a long time and you won’t have to worry about your competition. You’ll be delivering your best. So, is there something I can get for you right away?
Marsha Lindquist, a business strategist for over 15 years, draws on her proven “down in the trenches” experience, creativity, and participative manner to provide real solutions to businesses to assist them in building and growing their businesses. She is an energetic presenter and is also the Chief Executive Officer of The Management Link, Inc. As well as being the author of Why Are You Still Working Your A** Off, she has written and published several professional journal articles on business strategy and negotiations. She can be reached by e-mail at Marsha@MarshaLindquist.com or through her website at www.StraightBusinessTalk.com.
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