The Fine Line Between Bad, Ok, Good and Great Customer Service

Customer service is an extremely essential aspect of all businesses, both big and small. It's the key to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Good to great customer service experience can help build positive relationships with customers, while a bad one can lead to negative reviews and the potential of losing business.

A good example of customer service is a retail store employee that goes above and beyond to help their customer find the perfect product. For example, a customer is looking for a specific outfit for a formal party and they found the dress but not in their size. The store employee helps the customer locate the dress online and even orders the dress for the customer with free shipping.

Another example of good customer service is something I experienced personally. I ordered some products from Flora and Fauna. This is the first time I ever ordered from them, and this is also the first time I ever had a handwritten message on the package. This little touch was greatly appreciated, because it made me feel like the company cared since they took the time to write a personal note on the package.

An example of great customer service is a restaurant that goes out of its way to accommodate a customer's dietary restrictions. For example, a customer with a gluten allergy is impressed when the server suggests menu items that are gluten-free and even checks with the kitchen to ensure that cross-contamination is avoided. Obviously, the restaurant offers the gluten-free menu items but for the server to check with the kitchen that cross-contamination is avoided isn't required but is a nice touch.

An example that I experienced was with Starbucks (the same store is also the same place I experienced bad customer service as well). It was something so minor but by writing "Have a great day!" on the top of my drink went a long way. Some may not view that as something to be categorized in the "great" customer service, but for me personally, it's these little things that will push it from good to great.

On the other hand, an example of ok customer service is a representative who solves a customer's problem, but the customer is not particularly impressed by their attitude, demeanor, or tone voice. For example, a customer calls an internet company to report an issue with their service, and the representative is able to resolve the issue, but the customer feels that the representative was not particularly friendly or helpful.

In my opinion, I feel as though, nowadays, I expect customer service to be just ok. This is why the little things I mentioned above can push the service to great. Due to the covid pandemic and quarantine, customer service has gone downhill. People's patience level, on both ends (the customer and the customer service representative) have been depleted. Customers want to get angry over any little thing and workers are tired of dealing with customers who act "extra."

A bad example of customer service is a business that is unresponsive to customer complaints or concerns. And as I get older, I'm noticing more of this. For example, a customer sends an email to a company about a problem with their product and never receives a response. Or a customer calls a company's customer service line and is placed on hold for an extended period of time without any update or resolution of the issue. I've definitely experienced the long wait time before. I'm sure others have waited longer than me, but I remember waiting 30 minutes for a representative to get on the phone line.

Another example of bad customer service is with the same Starbucks that provided great customer service. This was a separate trip but, I had ordered via the mobile app (I'm all about saving time). I went through the drive thru, picked up my order and went on my way. The closest Starbucks to me is at least a 15-minute drive, yes, I know that may seem far but it's not. I get home and when I look at my bag of food, the wrap that ordered for my husband was non-exsistent. The bag that it was supposed to be in just had the words of "Ruh-Roh." They didn't tell me they were out; they didn't offer a replacement, they just placed this empty bag into my possession for me to be disappointed and slightly pissed. Trust me, I reached out to Starbucks and they just returned my funds to my Starbucks card.

In conclusion, customer service is absolutely necessary to any business. Businesses should also be aware of the signs of the different levels of customer service and make an effort to improve. Businesses should create a culture of striving for excellent and have great customer service every time. Customers should try to practice more patience. I've had conversations with many people, and it seems as though that people who have worked in customer service have a higher level of understanding and patience.

Stay blessed everyone and practice patience.