Be sure to reward good service - it'll catch on

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18: Last week’s article on bad customer service was quite the topic of conversation in some circles. 

Imagine my surprise to hear a caller make reference to it on a radio talk show. 

People have had enough of bad customer service. Employers must step up their game in training and hiring the right people for the job.

I’m all for hiring Bermudians but with that should come certain expectations that the employee will uphold standards set by the place of business — and if they are unable to do so, quite frankly, they need to be replaced. 

For far too long, customer service standards have been falling. It’s time to raise the bar.

Good customer service encourages us to go back to a particular business time and time again. Recently I came upon a new business in the area commonly known as ‘back o’ town’.  

The area is more politically correctly stated today as the Economic Empowerment Zone. I like to support new business and once inside realized it was a young entrepreneur. 

I wanted one simple hair product that would not have cost me on average more than $10 — but other things in this immaculately-clean business caught my eye. 

What should have taken me 10 minutes or less held me there for about an hour. The young owner was pleasant. She was patient in explaining various options I had for the product I wanted. 

I was immediately impressed. One hundred and twenty dollars and two bags later, I left her store, posted my experience on Facebook, and verbally encouraged quite a few people to support her store. 

I’ve gone back again since that time just to see if she’s gotten in anything new — and just to experience that good customer feeling again. Kudos to Neekesha Smith!

Those who I communicate with regularly know that I’ve been singing the cellphone blues for quite some time. 

If ever there was a lemon of a phone in circuit, I had it! My phone has crashed numerous times. I’ve lost contacts and other important information. 

The phone has been taken apart for repairs so many times that parts have voluntarily fallen off — leaving many of the features unable to be used. 

It wasn’t part of my plan or budget to get a new phone and the wait time to receive customer service was painful to my feet.  However, I must say the length of time I spent with the customer service agent demonstrated many of the positive qualities of customer service — patience, knowledge, and kindness. 

I left the premises an hour and a half after I got there — the last customer to leave the store as the service agent’s transportation waited outside. I knew that she too deserved recognition. Kudos to Zakiya Bean! 

To the young man who e-mailed me about his positive experience with a popular cycle business — I thank you.

His e-mail clearly indicated that if you encounter the right customer service person at an establishment, you can get instant service for your urgent needs when most others would have had him leave his vehicle for a few days, rendering him without transport.  

In my opinion, there is absolutely no need for poor customer service. 

Next week I’ll share a few more experiences and some sentiments from employers who have shared their staff challenges with me. And I’ll let you know how it damages their business and why it’s so hard to fire ineffective employees. 

In the meantime, when you have a good experience in an establishment, do as I do — let the people at the top know about it.  Until next time, go the extra mile with a smile.  

Shawnette Somner is an educator and mother. Email: [email protected]