I just returned from a visit to my ophthalmologist. Including residency that guy has taken 16 years of post-high school training. Maybe he’s the most brilliant guy to ever grace the world of work, but I wasn’t wowed.
He walked in, didn’t ask my name or any questions about me (one of his minions did this first). He didn’t introduce himself. He barked orders to his nurse and rudely corrected her in front of me, and then walked out without saying another word.
And I left doubting his competence and all for one reason – he’s forgotten (or never learned) the three simple steps to great customer service. Here’s all you’ll ever need to know about making delighted customers.
TREAT EVERY CUSTOMER LIKE THEY WERE A GUEST IN YOUR HOME
- Greet them with a smile and welcome them
- Take care of their needs cheerfully
- Thank them and invite them to come again
That’s it. Doing these three things would take him another 20 seconds, and I would leave thinking he was great. Most of our customers aren’t qualified to judge our competence; they can only judge us by our courtesy, or lack of it.
