Customer service is something we all come across in our daily lives. It can be used as a key differentiator for you and your company. 9 out of 10 US consumers said they would pay more for a superior service. I want to share with you a customer service experience I had a few weeks ago and how this made me feel valued.
Background
I wanted to buy my partner (Daniel) Golf clubs for Christmas. I initially searched on line for the best deal but didn’t have a clue what I needed, so decided to visit American Golf.  The guy serving me knew I didn’t know much about clubs, so he advised what I should buy and gave me a 30 minute personal fitting voucher so I could return with Daniel.
A few weeks ago we took the clubs back to American Golf for our 30 minute personal fitting to find out how they needed to be altered. All of which was free of charge. We turned up and a man came up to us straight away asking, ‘how can I help you’. I explained about the voucher and he took us to the area where men/women hit golf balls into a net (I apologize to golf fans in advance, I am not a golfer).
My Customer Service Experience
Working in training and development I am always looking out for great customer service and learning why these people behave the way they do. So I am going to tell you what I learned from this young gentleman, Mark, a few weeks ago.

• It doesn’t matter who made the sale, the client is your customer and you must help them – When Mark asked me who sold me the clubs, he said ‘he isn’t in today, but I can help you’. So often in sales roles we are concerned with ‘MY’ client rather than ‘OUR’. We look out for self interest rather than the company’s interest. It is vital that an organization creates a team culture, rather than an ‘I’ culture.

• You need to know what you are talking about – When Dan was swinging the golf clubs into the net, Mark was making notes. He could tell instantly what Dan needed, however he still followed the process of checking each detail to make sure that they altered the golf clubs just right. (If you are interested in the fitting process please see the below YouTube clip) 78% of customer satisfaction comes from a competent service rep.

• The manager needs to train you up and let you go –  I asked Mark how he had learned what he had. He mentioned that when he first started, his manager told him all he needed to know (direction). The manager then asked him to fit him with the right golf clubs following the process and equipment they had. He also mentioned that the manager encourages them to play golf and to always be on the lookout for opportunities of watching friends using their clubs.

When I was in American Golf the manager didn’t get involved once. He let his employee who obviously knew what he was talking about get on with it. This showed to me as the customer, that the manager trusted Mark to do a good job, and he did.
Why am I telling this story?
Customer service isn’t rocket science, yet it can create huge financial benefits to your company. 7 out of 10 people say they would spend more with companies who offered excellent customer service.
American Golf created a culture where employees feel empowered and trusted to do a good job. It also showed me there is a strong link between leadership and customer service. Without the right environment, Mark wouldn’t have been able to offer the great customer service that he did. The outcome of this great customer service is that I will always shop at American Golf and I will strongly recommend them.

All statistics are taken from helpscout . The American Golf store is in Guildford, UK.