Welcome to October! It’s the month of beautiful autumn leaves, crisp air, and pumpkin spice everything. It’s also the month we celebrate National Customer Service Week (October 5-9). Today, I’m continuing my countdown to the big week offering my next tip designed to inspire you to celebrate your customer not only next week, but all year long.
I was wearing my SPCA Donor sticker into the hardware store. Down the street from the hardware store situated in front of the Publix grocery the local humane society and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had set up displays for a joint fundraiser. The humane society had lots of puppies and kittens in need of good homes; the SPCA was passing out brochures and seeking donations. I am not a member of either charity, but I donated $20 to the SPCA in honor of my cat, Gypsy. Like the “I voted” sticker, I was given an SPCA donor sticker to sport.
“I love animals and I’d like to give the SPCA this $5,” the hardware store clerk told me as I was checking out. “Can you please see that they get it for me? They’ll be long gone by the time I lock up the store.” I was moved. She was honoring a cause important to me and she was using raw, unfiltered trust to do it! I drove back to Publix and told the woman my hardware store story. You know what she did! I got another sticker for the clerk.
Customers love it when you pay homage to what is important to them. But they shouldn’t have to wear an “Ask me about my granddaughter” button for you to be able to do it. It includes speaking to the child-in-tow while a parent is checking out; a comment about something a customer mentioned during their last encounter or a compliment about their hairstyle or article of clothing. It means going one step beyond—into the realm of remarkable.
This National Customer Service week, find ways to learn the target of their affinity and add it to your list as well! Then, keep that practice going all year long!