Special Request? – Not a Problem!
Does your family have a story that is told over and over again…an eye-roll worthy story that defines one of your family members?
Mine does…and it goes like this.
My husband likes milk in his coffee. Milk, not cream. It’s a little thing, but it matters to him.
So, every time we go out and Bill orders coffee, he would ask for it with milk. Very often the response is “OK, coffee with cream,” or “How many creams?” He would interrupt them and say “No, I’d like milk. It’s like cream, but it’s milk”. It happens almost every time.
In a world where you can order a half-caf-skinny-double latte-with soy, you would think that asking for a coffee with milk wouldn’t be a big issue. But it can be!
A few years ago, we took a long family drive from Pennsylvania to Maine with two of our kids, then aged 11 & 14. I admit, it’s an age where parents are a constant embarrassment to their children. When we stopped for coffee along the way, it was the same conversation. The kids did a lot of eye rolling when their dad ordered coffee, because they knew what was coming. It was never an easy order, and often resulted in a long conversation.
Except at McDonald’s…yes McDonald’s! They never blinked at his request. They would take the order, fill the cup with coffee and turn to the fridge behind the counter and open a carton of milk and pour it into his coffee without question.
Guess where the kids wanted to stop each time? The place where they would give him what he wanted, without question, without a long, drawn-out conversation.
It’s a simple customer service issue – meeting a special request.
- Do you listen carefully to what your customers ask for?
- Are you flexible, and able to meet their requests?
- Are you willing to customize your services to meet your customer’s needs?
- Are you losing out on repeat business because you give the clients what YOU want, instead of giving them what THEY want?
Having milk instead of cream isn’t a big thing. But if you are in a competitive market, think about the ways in which you can meet your customer needs. Even if it seems like a small thing, responding to a special request can make a difference.
Remember that your customers have choices when it comes to where they do business. Be sure to listen and respond, so that you can be the business of choice.