Customer loyalty

Ash Long emailed me yesterday with this story of poor customer service by his local newsagent. I share it here with his permission:

I like that the Australian Newsagency Blog has news of new avenues where businesses can be grown and profits maximised.

But I wonder if sometimes a reminder is needed that newsagents must not neglect their core business. As a newspaper publisher, I spend about $250 per week on papers and magazines at the local newsagency. I do not seek discounts, I do not receive loyalty rewards. I pay by cash, as I have done over the past 22 years.

It has been drummed in to me at this blog for newsagents to promote their ‘putaway’ service. So, when I had to be away interstate last weekend, I asked the counter-staff woman to please put aside the Thursday-Sunday editions of the Herald Sun and The Age, and that I would return in the following week to pay and retrieve the papers.

It wasn’t done. The counter staff said the newsagent counter-manded their efforts, and returned the papers, so my request was unfulfilled. Not a big deal, you might say. Only 8 newspapers. But those issues were important to me. I was only trying to be a good and loyal customer. The newsagent did not let me know of his decision. I have left a message for him, but he still has not called with an explanation (or an apology).

I feel disrespected as a customer. I feel that the newsagent should no longer have my $1000-a-month purchases. I feel that I should take my business elsewhere. He does not know his customers, and he has neglected his main game.

Whether we like it or now, the newsagency shingle binds all businesses that trade under it. Poor service by one can reflect poorly on all newsagents in the eyes of the customer experiencing poor service.

We are in challenged businesses with some of our core products suffering from severe disruption. Add to this the challenges of the economy, more focused competitors and myriad other factors and you have tough circumstances for many newsagency businesses. Why, therefore, would you treat a long-term customer in this way.

If the story as shared is accurate there is no excuse I can think of. A regular customer offering to spend money for little or no effort is to be respected and served well.

I am sure there are plenty of newsagents who would love Ash Long’s business.

I walked for fifteen minutes yesterday to a regular Sunday breakfast venue only to be confronted by a sign noting they are closed for the long weekend in Melbourne. This business is still establishing itself, it should not be closed, especially not on a long weekend when people have time for breakfast.

The experience got me thinking about how we communicate with our customers. I wondered what this cafe could have done. For a start, they could have let their regulars know a weekend earlier. They could have established a facebook page and let us know vis that. Or they could have setup an email list and sent us a note advising they are taking a break.

We need to run our businesses as if those who shop with us could go elsewhere and never return for the slimmest of reasons – such as being closed on a Sunday over a long weekend. Advanced communication is the key – so we don’t surprise shoppers with a change in opening hours.

My challenge to newsagents today is to think about how you communicate with your customers. Do you have a good path of communication? Is it two way? Or, are there surprises because of how you communicate?

This cafe runs its business as if it relies solely on passing trade. While there is considerable passing trade, there is also considerable regular local business. their approach to communication, or lack thereof, ignores this. The cafe’s sign also ignores weekend only patrons in favour of weekday patrons.

Here is an inspirational email received by a colleague newsagent a couple of days ago.   This is customer service!

Dear Sir/Madam

I visited your store this morning to purchase The Australian newspaper and to submit X-Lotto tickets for tonight’s X-Lotto. I was greeted and served by your staff member, Louise.

Louise was extremely helpful in explaining to me that the Winners Circle card had expired and that the completed tickets were no longer able to be used and handed me some new X-Lotto forms to be filled out. She aptly renewed my card and provided me a membership change of detail form.

Whilst I was completing the new forms with my chosen X-Lotto numbers, I listened to Louise as she interacted with other customers. She was friendly, respectful and courteous, a rarity in today’s society where customer service does not seem to be an important factor in so many small businesses.

My Husband and I are passionate about customer service and having been in small business ourselves understand the importance in customer retention and staff members play such an important role, congratulations on choosing such an appropriate young individual to represent your organisation.

We would like to use our experience with Louise in a case study for our business which is targeted at guiding small businesses at taking an inward look at how they meet the expectation of their most-important aspect, their customer.

Please pass on our gratitude to Louise for her exceptional customer service.

Great customer service begins at the top of any business. Louise deserves kudos for excellent customer service. Her managers also deserve kudos for excellent management.

In our businesses we are only as good as our weakest link. Good customer service is results from good management. Poor customer service results from poor management.

From the top down we need to make our businesses deliver more Louise experiences so more of us get emails like this.

Thank you Louise for your great service that lead to this inspiring story.