I remember as soon as I give up a journey through the Atlantic, I still retract the smiles of Rictus and endless filling from the lukewarm coffee that the Ba Cabin crew provided to me, just to receive a sea of annoying faces in Heathrow.
My sin? It is likely that it is present, or perhaps just an attempt to put a queue to control the passport in the wrong corridor. Story ethics? There is no shortage of ways that the British can make you feel that you should not bother you, especially when you are used to the comedy “I wish you a great day!” One gets in the states.
But here is rubbing: customer service is important. It’s really, really. It does not only matter because it gives your customers an immediate feeling whether you are actually cared about their customs, but because in a world where companies are roaming like boxers in deception in a ring, this may be the difference between the matter between Uppercut who develops or leaving a competitor, amazing and fun, where your customer wanders around Possible to the adjacent chapter.
Of course, we the British would like to say that we are polite. We are in the waiting list, and we are “thank you” when receiving a short change from a bus driver, and we are rolling “very sorry” when a stranger makes a mistake on our feet. But literature and customer service are not identical twins. One of them is an official courtesy – that the benign acceptance of the new brutal hedging of the neighbor, or a narration close to the tumors – while the other is a more baptized approach organized in the treatment of customers well. Actually, real, useful kindness. This is where we are struggling.
Let’s be honest about this: American companies, from the smallest dinner in Boys, Idaho, to Manhattan stores, in general, do so better. They have a way – frankly formula. You are entering a store and one of them turns you. They smile on a large scale (all teeth, not ridicule), ask you how to do, and inquire if they can help you. Sometimes it is a drink, sometimes somewhat forced, but to a large extent, you come out of the feeling of getting to know a better boy, or at least not guilty because you darkened their door. Compare it with the classic British “You are all there?” Half of whom was delivered from behind a pile of leaves, while the assistant clearly ignores the existential pain that sneaks through your face because you just want to find the size of 10 in that jacket.
This does not mean that the entire British retail sector is run by glowing Gargiales. There are great examples of great customer service in the UK – the independent library with employees who will recommend the novel that you did not know exactly; The wine dealer who will direct you away from the Australian Blank half the prices and offer you a jewel for the weekend dinner. But these bright examples often feel cheerful anomalies, rather than the base. This is a problem. Why? Because in the globalized market, people notice. They speak. Tweet. They are Instagram. They do everything less than renting a plane that gives up a banner saying, “The shoe store in Sally in Sloane Square is cruel,” and this can seriously harm.
So, why is it important to improve customer service in British business? For one, consistency builds confidence. If you know that every time you go to a specific cafe, you will be treated as a real human – with a smile, motivation from warmth, and in preparation for fixing things if they go – you are more likely to count. Then there is loyalty. People want to spend their money as they feel appreciated. Who would have known that it would be a very extremist to make customers feel appreciated by the rich wages acquired by the hardest?
Another reason is the brand image. It may attract slow marketing campaigns and shiny brochures for people once, but they are interactions inside the store or on the phone that enhance their permanent impression. In an era when everything is just a quick search for Google away, you can be sure that if someone has a corrupt experience, they will wave their smartphone and a very review pen before you can say, “I am sorry, how can I make it right? “The reputation, as the old cliché goes, is everything.
Now, let’s talk about the practical side. Is it really difficult to be nice for people who want to give you money? Is this stressful, to destroy the soul, to say, “Good morning, how can I help?” Or “I wish you a beautiful day”? Perhaps the fear in the Americans who imagined everything-that a vicious approach of the ear from the ear, is recognized that, it is recognized that it can be documented on British nerves. However, there is no need to go to the full Disneyland – no one suggests that you put sweets to customers while walking. But the foundation line of real kindness? It should not be such an ordeal.
Training is very important. Invest in it. The right urge to new employees, where they learn not only to know the product but how to deal with customers in a friendly and careful way, with attention to details and follow -up immediately. They taught them to listen – really listen – because there is nothing more surprising than explaining your dilemma with the fine details, just to meet an empty staircase saying, “I stopped listening ten minutes ago.”
Here is a radical idea: empowering employees. Give them permission to repair problems immediately without the need to consult seven different managers, or what is worse than the communication center in a different time area. Customers love a quick solution; It proves that you are estimated at their time and want to make things right. And what? When employees feel appreciated and confident in themselves, they tend to pass this good energy alongside customers.
In short, British companies can learn something or two yanks about consistency and joy. We have in us to be the best host in the world – we are the land of charming tea stores and B& BS without a defect, after all. So it may be time to direct that famous hospitality to the prevailing business culture. Let’s move on to the difficulty behind the table, the resigned a sigh of relief on the phone, and we raise a quick cup of tea (completely fermented) to the idea that being nice to pay profits. It is not so difficult. So let’s do that. Let us enjoy the benefits that come with a high -quality service: repetition of business, sparkling reviews, and clear knowledge that we may give our American cousins for their money. Cheers for that.