Why the small business customer service is better

How the small business customer service is better

So much is written about customer experience.

I can’t think of any organisation I’ve interacted with that doesn’t claim that customer experience is of high strategic importance.

In many cases, the gap between intent and reality is of chasmic proportion.

One of the great things about this issue is that we are all in fact customers.

I’ve had two contrasting experiences this week that have prompted this post.

First, I cancelled a couple of credit cards.

Two different financial institutions who shall remain nameless.

Not such a great experience.

I got lost in their IVRs (I had a business that builds IVRs so I should be able to navigate one).

It sounds trite but a customer’s first experience is often an IVR and we could do so much better!

I was then subjected to scripted and somewhat token attempts to retain me as a customer.

Payout figures were provided with more caveats and conditions than any legal document I’ve ever signed. Customer experience fail!

My Small Business customer service experience

Contrast my first experience with a big corporate to my second customer experience.

I am an early morning gym-goer and I like to grab a short black to get the heart pumping.

I frequent a nearby coffee shop and the barista has noticed that I do this every day and has “befriended” me.

He offered to make my coffee in a proper heavy porcelain cup – telling me that it tastes much better this way.

He caught me on the way back from the gym and up-sold me on another coffee – telling me the machine makes a much better brew once it has been used for an hour or so.

Just between you and me, he’s made me feel special and made my coffee purchase effortless.

He’s also doubled my spend.

Customer experience pass!

So, for all the good intentions, large organisations who aspire to put customers at the centre of their world have some way to go.

Let’s get real in our efforts to collectively improve customer experience.

My barista and his small business customer service would probably be able to help us all…

Recommended further reading: The future of Customer Service – what you need to know

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