What ever happened to customer service? Has anyone noticed the lack of it in Charlottetown? When you enter the big box stores, clerks rarely approach you to ask if you need assistance. Most run in the opposite direction! And if, by chance you do need some sort of help, they act as though you are totally disrupting their day. Is management training these people in customer service? If not, it is a huge oversight on their part!! If I go into a store and am not acknowledged in any way by the people working there, I will often go to another store where I know I will receive service to buy the product I am looking for..even if I have to pay more. It annoys me that people who work in retail just don't bother asking you if you need any help. The same goes for restaurants. My husband and I eat out alot and the service we get in a restaurant will often bring us back. On the same token, bad service will often have us deciding never to return. We don't expect to be fussed over, but we do expect to be checked on every once in awhile and in a friendly fashion.
Some people - however do get it right. All of Murphy's restaurants have customer service down to a science. Whether it be the drive through at Tim Horton's or one of the higher end restaurants - these people know how to deliver their product with a smile! And it's constant, it's not a rare occurrence - you always know you are going to be greeted and treated properly by whomever waits on you in these establishments. So kudos to the Murphy's for instilling and expecting this from their employees. Another establishment in Charlottetown who has this right is Papa Joe's. It is our new favorite restaurant because we know without a doubt that when we go there we are going to get a great meal, fast and friendly service and reasonable prices. They have created a family like atmosphere that just makes you want to keep coming back. We have never gone there and received bad service. Also, the Home Hardware on St. Peter's Road continues to impress me with their outstanding customer service!!! In many other stores similar to this one, I have entered and walked around for a considerable amount of time without anyone approaching me or even looking my way. I have even passed by clusters of employees standing or sitting around chatting with one another..completely oblivious to the potential customers around them. Not so at Home Hardware on St. Peter's Road. It's rare that I even get all the way into this store without someone approaching me with a friendly smile and asking me if I need help. And they happily go out of their way to find me what I am looking for or take the time to find out how they can get it for me. It's such a pleasant experience to go into this store.....someone has done something right in teaching these employees customer service skills!
Being in the service industry ourselves - we know how important it is to people to feel like they matter. When you treat people properly and go the extra mile for them, you create customer loyalty. When you fail with your customer service, your customers don't really feel like you want or need their business and are more than likely going to take their money elsewhere.
It's not rocket science either, all it takes is a smile and some extra effort to make the customer feel worthwhile and welcome in your place of business. Every business should expect this from employees and have some sort of measure that it actually takes place! It's very obvious these days that this just doesn't happen. Many businesses are completely missing the boat on this one!! What a shame!!