Going the extra mile in customer service
In a world where the fight to attract and retain customers is fought fiercely, one of the things I’m often asked to deliver is Customer Service Training.
Helping people understand the importance of ‘going the extra mile’ and supporting them to do this at every opportunity is a key objective for many customer service and management teams.
Many of us think that we already go above and beyond our role descriptions, and over the years I’ve certainly heard some fantastic examples of this. However, for me it’s the little things that make a difference; this example takes the biscuit!
I like the way Chris has complied his letter. Talk about knowing your customers and tailoring your approach accordingly! The style of his letter is spot on. He perfectly mirrors Lily’s language, the £3 gift card is perfectly appropriate and he even signs the letter off with his age, (27 1/3). I can’t help but imagine the surprise on Lily’s face (or her mum’s) when she received a letter through the post just for her.
This simple observation from 3 ½ year old Lily has resulted in Sainsbury’s, a multi-million pound organisation, changing the name of one of their products in all of their supermarkets across the UK.
I no longer buy tiger bread, I buy giraffe bread!
Not to mention the positive impact on the reputation of the organisation, this story went viral on social media and in the press, the public loved it.
Next time you or your team are talking about ways in which you can go the extra mile for your customers just remember this simple story about tiger bread that made a difference to one little girl, and one big organisation.
What’s Your Tiger Bread Moment?
We’d like to hear about when you, your team or your organisation has gone the extra mile. Brag, boast and blow your trumpet about your ‘tiger bread moment’ in the comment box below. We’ll pick the best one, and share it high and low, far and wide.
Who knows, you may be the next topic of conversation or Twitter sensation!
By Sarah Baker | Righttrack’s Learning and Development Specialist