Do You Park In Customer Parking...At Your Own Company?!

This should be a no brainer post, really.  I mean, common sense would tell you that people who work at a company don't park in customer parking.  Right?  Especially when customer parking is right up front and is clearly marked.

Would you agree?

You would be correct but you would also be sorely disappointed to find out that a lot of people are not as smart, nor as considerate as you and I are. I don't know what that is a statement of; selfishness, stupidity, out and out rudeness?

But it is not customer service. Wait, it is; it's bad customer service.

I've actually had experience with this one. At another firm I worked we had an agent who consistently everyday obtrusively parked their big old Mercedes front and center in the closest spot to the front door directly under the sign that plainly stated customer parking only. As if that wasn't rude enough, they also had vanity tags with both their name and the Realtor emblem emblazoned on said flashy Mercedes so that when customers did have to park on the other side and walk into the building, they could be sure and know that they reason they were walking past the spot reserved for them was because one of the Realtors wanted to park there.

Absolutely unbelievable and to add insult to injury, this Realtor was offended when I told them to stop parking there.

I scratched my head on this one, not able to fathom why no one there seemed to get this was just plain wrong.

Fast forward.....I had the privilege this week to attend a seminar on "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". We were talking about characteristics of good leaders and qualities that weren't.  Not just the big things but the little things as well. And guess what circumstance came up that we said leaders, whether individual employees or the company itself, could really step and epitomize to the clients how much customer service means to them without ever saying a word?

Seeing who was parked in the customer parking spots, or more importantly, who was not.

I've witnessed various employees at many companies park in the customer spots and it tells me I am not important to them, their needs are more important than mine.  No customer needs that spot for five or ten minutes to run inside and give them business. The employee needs it for a few hours, all day, whatever.  It's a huge slap in the face and if they don't get it enough to figure out the parking space, where else could the customer service be lacking?

Speaking as a Realtor, if someone at my office parked in the space reserved for clients, one of which may be mine, I would be angry.  I would ask that they not to take those spots and mention that I don't like the message it sends.  Sadly, at the other place, agents were angry that I had said something. They didn't get what the real message was.

What does your parking lot say to your clients or the companies clients?  Customer service begins before you ever walk in the door.

Are people at your office killing customer service before you ever get the chance to show them yours?

Now THIS Is Customer Service!

Yes I realize I am probably showing my age with a picture of the 'Fonz leading off this post but so be it. I happen to think the inspiration I have for the post was pretty cool and I needed good ole Fonzie to kick things off.

I value good customer service and try to provide it in my business. I seem to think, though, that not everyone is as hung up on good service as I am because I certainly don't always receive it and I've heard horror stories from past clients recanting how they didn't receive it from previous Realtors they worked with.   

Today was different; today I witnessed first hand fabulous customer service! As I thought more about it, I realized that every time I enter this particular establishment I always receive great service as does everyone else who is in line.

And it's in the least likely place that you would ever expect to receive good, let alone great, customer service.  

The United States Post office. In Murfreesboro, TN.

Now let me set the background for you.  My post office in Acworth, GA was staffed completely with people that A) had little or no concept of customer service, B) didn't care that they had little or no concept of customer service and C) thrived, nay, prided themselves on being as slow and incompetent as they could be.  I can't tell you how many times I've nearly had an aneurism waiting in a line of at least ten deep only to get to the front of the line without having a stroke and the postal person puts up a sign that says "next window" and tells the whole line that is snaked outside the building, with an attitude thrown in for good measure, that it is time for their fifteen minute break. So I unfairly judged all post offices based on the horrible one I had before.

So imagine my surprise the first time when I went into the post office here and received a friendly face with a smile that welcomed me, asked me how my day was and waited on me quickly and efficiently.  I actually turned around to see who they were talking to and looked on the wall to ensure that I was in a post office I was so taken aback.  I was greeted and surprised by the African American woman who truly seemed to be glad that I was there.  And I noticed that she treated everyone who came to her line the same way.  "Hmm", I thought, "she must be getting ready to leave, or its her birthday or maybe today is the day she retires".  Needless to say, I was surprised yet skeptical.  But now, thinking back on other visits, each time I've gone in she's the same; always smiling, knowing some patrons by name, greeting others who come in even if they go to other lines because her window is full. Amazing! Today I went in and just watched while I stood in line. She personally greeted everyone with a hello, made anyone at her window feel welcomed and stopped to shake a gentleman's hand with a familiarity that showed she obviously knew and appreciated him, all while waiting on her own customers and making them feel special without missing a beat.

I was flabbergasted and slightly disappointed that I didn't get her window but she smiled as I walked to the next one and asked how I was.

Fabulous, over the top, customer service!

I've discovered several lessons from this dynamic civil servant and want to share them if you desire to give great customer service or client care to both those you work with and for:

You don't have to know their name but make them feel that you do by  recognizing them.

When you are with them make them feel like their your only client.

Always have a smile on your face-it backs up the fact that you care and that you enjoy what you do,

Be kind and aware.  I've seen this same lady wait on a woman with a severe handicap and patiently wait while she went through her purse, slowly and painstakingly, to find her debit card. While she did this, the postal worker assured her she was fine, not to hurry and talked to her like she was the only one there.  She treated her with dignity and kindness.

She may not as a little girl have grown up saying "I want to work at the post office" but she loves her job; you can see it by the way she smiles, talks to her fellow employees and goes out of her way to be helpful to anyone who comes in.

I have no idea if she goes to church or is a believer but I can tell you one thing; her window at the post office seems to be her own little mission field simply by the way she treats every customer that comes in.

Can your clients or customers say the same about you?