Ok I know you don't do this very often but imagine yourself popping into your local bakers to buy an iced finger, you look at the tray of attractive looking buns with glistening white icing and a cherry on top and you choose one.
What influenced the decision, why did you choose bun number 3 over the other buns in the tray?
If you are anything like me bun number three looked like it had more icing or a juicier cherry or was slightly bigger than it's tray-mates, ohh another new word.
What fundamental truth are we looking at here I hear you ask.
People like a little bit extra.
Ok so not very exciting I admit but absolutely vital to winning that extra bit of business, I know I'm here to espouse excellent customer service but it doesn't mean I should be blind to why or indeed how it is provided.
That little bit extra is what encourages me to buy and it's what encourages the vast majority of other people to buy too, so why is it in such short supply?
You'll not be surprised to know that I saw the principal in action this week at Tres Gourmet, the coffee shop where I go most weekends to enjoy some great coffee, fabulous almond croissant and world beating customer service.
Whilst we were trolling through one of the free newspapers and enjoying our coffees a lady came in for a cappucino, nothing extraordinary in that, whilst she waited for the lady serving to brew it she mentioned that the cup she had purchased on Friday had been less than full.
I think she said it had been half empty, obviously an exaggeration as she wouldn't have bought it had that been the case, but still she obviously felt that she had been given short measure.
The lady serving, not the manager or anything, instantly apologized and gave her her current order, two coffees I might add, for free.
Now that impressed the socks off me for a number of reasons.
1. The staff member felt confident enough to give an instant double refund on her own authority
2. The manager had trained them to do it or at the least trained them to think like that
3. She went the extra mile and gave her double her money back, in effect.
By instantly apologizing and giving her more than she expected she turned a disgruntled customer into an evangelist, how do you think she felt when she walked away with her two free coffees?
Do you think she kept it to herself or do you think she told her whole office about it?
Now I don't know whether she was trying it on, and if she was she'll soon come a cropper as the staff member concerned will certainly remember her or whether she had indeed been given short measure but I do know this, She sure got the icing on the bun.
Next time: Self Service is no service
John Anslow
http://www.service-computers.com/
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