Remarkable Customer Experiences Begin On Your Frontline

For over 35 minutes today, I enjoyed a wonderful customer experience. Unfortunately, it was almost all swept away in the last 90 seconds. I entered the local mega-bookstore today looking for a book in the business section. I didn't have a particular book in mind, just a subject I wanted to learn more about. This store is a great place to shop for books. The aroma of fresh Starbucks coffee washes over you as walk past the new fiction section, the lighting is just right, there are lots of comfy sofas and chairs to fall into and the decibel levels are reminiscent of your local library.

While looking for that next great business book, I was able to help another shopper find the book Good to Great, a book that I had read last year. Finally, I found the book I was after. From the cover to the table of contents, I quickly became convinced, this was what I was looking for. As I proudly made my way to the checkout, I was happy to see that there wasn't a line. I walked right up to the first available cashier.

In a blink, the whole experience changed. There, in front of me, stood an attractive young lady, who appeared bright and competent. As I approached I looked for the smile that said, "good to see you, did you find what you were looking for?" Didn't happen. What I got instead was a clear sense that she wanted to avoid direct eye contact and as quickly as possible move on to the usual drone questions, "do you an awards card... do you want your receipt stapled and in the bag?" Then it all ended with a very warm, "have a nice day."

What gives? How could someone who works in such a nice store, a store that sells great books to customers who are generally happy to be there, be so obviously disconnected from her customer. Well, don't blame the clerk. The responsiblity for remarkable customer experiences falls to others within the organization.

If you are are a business owner or store manager or anyone who leads a customer facing business, listen up. You need to be, you must be in fact, just as concerned about the remarkable experience that you provide for your staff, as the one you hope to ultimately provide for your customers. Start thinking of your staff as your best customers. Treat them that way. Give them your best service, pricing, offers, care and value. Make sure that they love what they are doing and that what they do for you and your customers, doesn't just become a job.

It's easy if you try.