A funny thing happened to me today, I got service.

Are you giving them what they want?

Normally, venturing into the centre of my town for some shopping is about the worst thing you can do.   However, when my wife wanted a new mobile phone, I had to make the trip to one of Vodafone’s stores.

I’ve been getting a lot better at handling bad customer service recently.   I have been guilty, in the past, of wearing that ‘Don’t **** with me face’ as I walk up to a cash desk or customer service desk.   This has protected me from all sorts of nasty customer service reps and ‘associates’ who, frankly speaking, do not like their job.

However, after recently doing very well on a positive thinking course, my tactics have changed a little.   Now I am able to walk into any shop and smile, confidently.   I have expectations of great customer service.   If I don’t get it, it will not upset me too much (that’s the plan anyway).   But I digress.

So anyway, I’m in Vodafone smiling my face off and the Associate notices me.   However, there is no disruption, he just smiles and leaves me to it.   This is a great start, and it gets better.

When I ask for help with choosing a £15 a month contract phone, rather than get all annoyed because I’m not spending big, he helpfully goes through the options and answers all the questions (and I have many).

After ten minutes of answering questions about a phone deal that will not in any way give him bragging rights, he is still smiling.

Then I have to call the wife for extra info and questions that she has to ask remotely.   He sits through four reasonably long phone calls without so much as a glance at his watch.   Other customers drift into our little circle of consumer friendly heaven, but he sticks with me.

He is actually giving me customer service.   Unwavering customer service.

Twenty minutes later he is talking me through the contract sign up, asking about my job, my family, telling me anecdotes.   And he’s not some older guy who has time, and the ability to relax when working with others.   He’s in his late twenties.

I walk out feeling like the Original Happy Customer.

Part of me didn’t think it was possible, that it existed anymore.   I had changed my attitude a little, but that had nothing to do with the fact that this guy knew how to help me to buy something.   He didn’t sell me anything, I knew what I wanted.   He actually helped me to make the purchase by meeting my needs at every stage and giving me total commitment.

Contrast this with another vendor I have had dealings with lately.   He didn’t invoice me, phone me, or offer any updates on how the job he was doing for me was going.   When things went wrong he didn’t call and alert me to them.   And when I got riled (justifiably, and the positive thinking course hadn’t started yet) he got defensive.   He wasn’t committed to my purchase.

As a home business owner, or the owner of a small business, to what extent are you committed?   If you are selling a box of paperclips, are you helping that customer get what they want?

You see, this is the thing.   Selling, and making money out of selling, is all about problem solving.   The guy in Vodafone knew I wasn’t going to pay his mortgage for him by making that big sale happen, but he still answered my (arguably quite pedantic) questions without getting annoyed or looking bored.

He wanted to help.

If you want to help your customers, do it.   And keep doing it.   Because I’ll tell you one thing for free.  When I walked out of that Vodafone shop, I felt great after spending my money.   And when I told him that I may well come back to buy a phone for myself, I wasn’t lying.

Until next time, work smart.