I made two stops at the major home improvement chains yesterday. We’re looking for some miscellaneous window/door/cabinet hardware and what we have found at the Big Stores is essentially the same stuff from various manufacturers with slight variations. Sadly, not exactly what I was looking for.

What I did find is inspiration. Inspiration regarding customer service. My first stop was at Blue Store early in the morning on my way to work. I headed in the door and down the main aisle to get what I needed. Along the way, a store associate asked if they could help me find anything I needed. I let them know I was familiar with what I needed, but thanks for asking.

When I got to the checkout at Blue Store, the cashier was also friendly, asked if I’d found what I was looking for and wished me a good day. Successful customer experience. Granted, I would pose that this is what every standard experience in a store should be, but hey – expectations for good customer service are LOW these days.

In Orange Store, which I visited in the early afternoon right after lunch time, my experience was even better. As I walked in the door, a young man greeted me and asked if there was anything he could do to help. On my way to what I was looking for, another associate asked if she could assist me with anything. When I was browsing hardware items, another associate was breezing by the aisle and saw me looking, and then came back to make sure I was finding what I needed. This was no casual, “can I help.” It was a concerted effort to ask. Finally, on my way out, another associate asked if I’d found what I was looking for and if they could help.

While I didn’t purchase anything, I was thoroughly impressed.

Here were two store experiences where I felt as if I was being taken care of by the people who worked there. It wasn’t about the store, the product, or anything else for me. I actually didn’t find what I wanted because they didn’t even carry it. I spent 15 minutes of my time looking for nothing. But along the way the people made an impression on me, and my opinions of the stores got better. Orange Store really impressed me. The people were nice, asked if they could help, and didn’t pressure or bug me. I felt they truly were there to help and that I could easily ask if I needed anything. Blue Store employees were nice as well, but I didn’t see as many or have the same easy-going feeling as at Orange Store. Not a problem, though – it was still fine.

Now, I’m a HUGE fan of customer service. I credit my formative working years with that. I started sacking groceries at the city’s largest full-service family-owned grocery chain when I was 15. Shirt, tie, dress pants. All to sack and carry out groceries to the customer’s car. And it didn’t matter if there was one sack or ten – you DID NOT ASK the customer if they would like a carry-out – you picked up the bag and followed them to their car. That was part of your purchase.

I learned a LOT during my 9.5 years there. Much more than sacking (the company’s Best Bagger 1996!), stocking, display building, merchandising, sanitation, scheduling, management, accounting, human resources, training, receiving, restaurant management, floor maintenance, checking, inventory control, loss prevention, and cake decorating. (Don’t ask. It would be fodder for Cake Wrecks.)

What I REALLY learned was about people and service. What I was always proud of was the philosophy of service that was ingrained in us. The customer came into our store, paid good money, and should be treated to an exceptional experience. Every customer, every time.

I carried out groceries for a long time, while I aspired to build displays and stock. Learn more skills and advance through the ranks. The company helped train their employees exceptionally well. Almost every person in the entire company was promoted from within. You started as a sacker and/or checker and worked your way up from there.

I also went through 3 interviews to get a job. Yes. Three. Interviews. To sack groceries as a 15-year-old. And not interviews at the store with some college kid. I went to the corporate office, talked to the human resources manager, and a couple other people who I’d get to know very well during my tenure there. Then we went through corporate-level training and store-level training. It was serious business, and not everyone got hired. Back then – in 1989 – it was kind of a competitive and prestigious place to work.

That gets us to today. The country is (supposedly) coming out of a recession. Lots of businesses cut costs to the bare minimum at the onset in order to stay afloat or weather the downturn as best as possible. Along with advertising budgets, I think customer service was hard hit as well. Trim staff, do more with less, and get the job done. I understand. But coming out of it, what’s going to differentiate you from the competition? You’ve kept prices down, hopefully, You’ve made it through. But what will win you new customers and clients?

I’m going to suggest that it’s better customer service.

Unless you stopped doing a good job, then you should still be focused on being the best in your competitive field. So your product is good. How to win new clients? Offer them the best overall experience. Go above and beyond.

Which makes me think about how we’re doing now. I know I don’t do the best I can at all times when it comes to serving my customers. I also know that in my mind I have set the bar extremely high as to what the minimum customer experience should be. We make progress and get better all the time. I have a running list of customer service improvements and we’re taking action on them. I always want to do a great job – and I want my customers to feel that way, too.

How are we doing? How are you doing?

If you have feedback for me, please let me know!