Horrible customer service is all around us! With all these examples, it can be helpful to analyze what specifically makes an experience bad (or good) so we can learn from our own personal experiences.

Here is one sad story.  I took a rear view mirror into an auto parts store to buy the little fitting that sticks to the windshield.  I had just had the windshield replaced in our motor home and that fitting disappeared with the broken windshield, but the service techs at the RV shop, left the mirror on the console, so all I needed was the little metal piece that attaches to the windshield. That seemed simple enough especially since I had the mirror in hand.

I stopped by a local auto parts store on my way home to buy the part and I had the presence of mind to take the rearview mirror with me, so I would be sure to get the right part.  In the auto parts store there were two clerks working the counter, both of them were busy with customers and there was a line forming in front of the checkout counter.  One of the two clerks was also helping a customer on the phone.  I patiently waited for my turn but then I was completely ignored by the manager who snapped an order to the other clerk to help the man who had just approached the counter and was standing off to my right (apparently this customer had never before seen a line of people waiting for help, because he just waltzed right up to the counter and transacted his business, oblivious to the fact that everyone else waiting at the counter also had business to transact.)  Anyway, when I finally got to the counter to ask the clerk for help in identifying the specific part for my mirror, the clerk’s attention was immediately diverted to a ringing phone. 

He quickly snatched up the phone and began a protracted conversation with the caller, leaving me standing there with my mirror in my hand and my question half asked.   The call was clearly a question about a part which required the clerk to ask the caller a series of questions, reference more than one technical parts manual, and do some protracted research.  All the while, I'm just standing there, quietly, patiently, listening, and waiting for the clerk to answer my question about my mirror.  Truthfully, I was a little perturbed, and made a mental note, that if I really need an answer to a question I should call this parts dealer rather than come to the showroom, because it was obvious that callers received priority attention ahead of walk-in customers.  After he finished with the call he still had to write down some notes for future reference, and I waited. 

I finally had my opportunity to show him my mirror.  It had the manufacturer’s name and part number stamped on it.   I expected him to reference his pile of technical manuals to find my mirror so he could identify the exact part I needed, but instead, with an air of disgust (at my not being able to help myself) he darted from behind the counter and shot down an aisle where he took a $3.00 package off of a hook and headed back to the cash register.  He said that part was the only rear view mirror attachment he had in stock and he thought it would work.  He also said if it didn't fit he could just sell me a whole mirror. 

For those of you who are not familiar with rearview mirror technology; they are not universally interchangeable.  The angle, slope, curve of each windshield determines the exact design of the mirrors.  Yes, they all allow for a small amount of adjustment but motor home windshields are at a different angle then most car windshields and the interior length of the vehicle, as well as the distance of the mirror from the driver makes the mirror adjustment very specific and limited.   I knew that most rearview mirrors would not work in our motor home.  I needed to re-mount the one that came with the coach not some generic, “I think it will work, mirror,” from the auto parts store.

Truthfully, I felt like the clerk just blew me off, that I didn't deserve the careful attention that the other customers (and particularly the phone customers) received.   I took my $3.00 part and went home to see if it would fit.  Of course the clerk could have tried it right there, in the store, since I was holding the mirror, but that would have demonstrated some understanding of customer service (which he clearly did not have) so he took my money and sent me away with, “Oh, I’m sure it will work”.  But how could he be sure?  There are hundreds of different mirror designs and they use a host of different mounting brackets (which I learned later from the internet).

I know you're way ahead of me.  The next sentence is soooo predictable.  I opened the package and the mounting bracket did not fit my mirror!  It wasn't even close. Yes, I was irritated, but still hopeful, because I was pretty sure, if I just called and asked the right question I would finally get the clerk’s attention. Then he would help me like he had done for the two phone customers that he helped while I waited in the store!  If I called, he would look up the mirror name, and part number, and I would finally be able to order the exact fitting I needed.

Well, not so fast.  I did call, but the same clerk said he only had one mirror attachment in stock (I knew that) and he wasn't familiar with my brand of mirror (I didn’t expect him to be familiar with every part, especially not my mirror).  I just wanted him to look it up, in his parts books and call me back.  I gave him the manufacturer name and the part number and my name and phone number.  He told me he would try to find it and call me back.  That was over 4 months ago, and he has never called. 

As I stated earlier, I needed this particular mirror, not a generic mirror, so I put a grinding blade on my Dremel tool and carefully reshaped the part to fit my mirror.  It took about an hour of grinding and the heat destroyed the adhesive that came on the part but I have some amazing glue that will produce the bond I need to get my mirror back in service.  That is however, not the point of this case study. 

The point is that this auto parts firm failed on every level and at every point of customer service.  First of all, their corporate name and identity is very weak and I personally don’t like either. The only reason I stopped at this store, in the first place, was because the direction of my travel on a busy road, at a busy time of day, made this store more accessible than the other three auto parts stores in our small town.

Secondly, this store now occupies the old Blockbuster building and I have always loathed the entrance and parking lot to that building.  The entrance is at a bad angle, it's too narrow, and the liquor store behind the parts store generates a large amount of in and out traffic during business hours. 

Now, it already has two strikes against it before I even entered the business, but a great customer experience could mitigate these negative attributes. I went into the store with an open mind.  Unfortunately, my customer experience did not eliminate my negative mindset.  Instead my negative experience compounded it. 

Every part of my actual interaction with the staff was irritating and frustrating. 

• The dismissive attitude of the manager who ordered the clerk to help someone else
• waiting while the newly arrived customer was helped before me
• waiting while the clerk interrupted my transaction to help the person on the phone
• getting blown off with the "only item in stock" answer  to my specific question
• getting a part that didn't fit my mirror
• getting blown off again on the phone when I asked him to look up the part
• and never receiving a call back even to tell me that they couldn't find the part I needed.

Their customer service grade  - a resounding F.

Will I ever go back to this auto parts store?  NO!  There are three competing stores in my community, any of which, are an improvement over this store. 

Will I ever buy from this franchise anywhere else?  Not if I can help it.

Will my tiny amount of business matter to the long-term success of this store?  Yes and No.    My $3.00 purchase would not make any difference to their overall success, but people vote with their feet.  All people!  We’re all pretty much alike; if we receive poor customer service in one store, and there’s an alternative, we’ll go somewhere else.  Poor customer service is like a virus, it spreads from one employee to another, until it infects the whole staff, leading to one lost sale after another, until it does begin to show up on the bottom line.  Then the franchise owner will whine and lament that business is so hard.  He can't make ends meet; the competition is eating him alive…blah blah blah.  But all he really needs to do to help his business rebound, is flip the switch to outstanding service, day in and day out.

If a large volume of work comes from phone orders, then the business should assign an employee to the task of answering the phones, and make sure that employee is away from the walk-in service counter.  It's the "back room" staffer's job to handle the phone, not the clerk serving walk-in customers.  There are dozens of other ways to improve the experience of each customer.  All it takes is a little role playing.  Be the customer.  What does it feel like to be a customer in your store, or business?   Go shopping in your competitor’s businesses.  What is the customer experiencing there?  Be honest with yourself and your staff. 

Each customer is important, even if they only need a small bracket for a mirror, the next time it might be a new headlamp, then seat covers, then wiper blades, then a battery, and so on.  Repeat, loyal customers also refer other customers and it is through great customer service that you keep them coming back.  This was an unfortunate experience for me, but a great lesson for all of us.  I hope it helps you understand how your precious and fragile reputation rests on each customer’s unique experience. You can never rest, or let your guard down.  Great customer service requires a total commitment and attention to all the details, day in and day out. 

A satisfied customer is only one transaction away from leaving for good. Imagine telling your spouse that you’re satisfied with them as your spouse.  Could there be a lower level of appreciation? Do you just want to be satisfied with your next car purchase or do you want to be thrilled? 

Being thrilled with your service and attention to detail is what will keep your customers coming back for years, but to achieve this you have to continually find ways to deliver more, faster, and for less. Don’t ever ask a customer if they are satisfied.  Ask them if they are thrilled with your service!