Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: It’s a Wrap!
Our thanks this month to guest blogger, Kathy Blumenstock. Kathy currently writes Animal Planet’s “The Mole” blog http://blogs.discovery.com/the_mole. A career journalist, she has been a reporter and writer for The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, NBC News and Entertainment Tonight. Kathy also contributes feature stories to Knitchmagazine.com and Knit ‘N Style magazine.
Ever fill out one of those “how are we serving you” cards in a store or restaurant? Do you wonder if anyone’s paying attention? Actually, someone is, and I found the proof. I’d sent in dozens of them for one local eatery. I wanted them to know how they were serving me! But they were too busy making sandwiches, including one of my favorites, with spicy basil, fresh tomatoes, a little mozzarella and some secret sauce. It was even healthy, or so the menu claimed. “Can you wrap that in aluminum foil?” I always asked the preparer, who’d sigh before replacing the flimsy clear plastic with sturdier silver wrapping.
“Why do you do that?” my colleague Mary asked. I said the secret sauce soaked the flatbread and plastic, making a soggy mess before I could take a bite. “If they’d just read my many suggestion cards, they’d know.” The cashier heard me and said, “You want a manager?” Sure, I said, hoping to get my common-sense suggestion heard at last. The harried manager held up a hand. “I’m listening, but change has to come from corporate,” he said. “I’ll send in your idea.” I nobly refrained from saying, “Fat Chance.” Next time I showed up to order my sandwich, the manager saw me, spoke to a server—and before I could speak, the aluminum foil was rattled out and ready. Even if they didn’t adopt my idea for everyone, isn’t it nice to be treated special because they listened?
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