The Customer is Always Right

If you didn't already know this about me yet, I work in a local quilt store in Bozeman.  I work as a clerk and help customers with questions and problems that may arise on their quilting projects.  The one thing that my job has taught me that has been very valuable for the future is the importance of good customer service. Good customer service at the quilt store is the difference between a sale and the potential customer turning around and walking right out the door.

Last week I was shopping for a new dress and was able to see the clear difference between good and bad customer service. I went into the first store and was looking at racks and holding stuff up and shuffling through sizes, I probably spent 20 minutes looking and pulled four dresses off the racks to try on.  I then proceeded to the back of the store toward the dressing rooms passing both of the clerks (who were talking to each other and didn't even acknowledge my presence).  I went to a dressing room and tried on my dresses.  I felt really out of place and even though I liked a few of the dresses I tried on, I left them there because I felt awkward being there. I walked out of the dressing room past the two clerks again (still didn't say anything) and right out the front of the store.

I kind of wanted to give up on the shopping process all together that day, but as I walked past another store I decided that maybe I would just look around and see if there were any dresses that I liked.  I walked into the store and was immediately greeted by the only clerk in the store.  She came up to me and asked me how I was and then asked what I was looking for.  I told her I was kind of looking for a dress and she immediately started pulling dresses off the racks for me to try on.  She got me into a dressing room and I tried on all the dresses and liked a few (the only problem I had with them was the quality of the fabric). I didn't end up buying any at that store because the fabric felt like poor quality and the workmanship on the dresses wasn't up to par. If I wasn't such a fabric snob (result of working at a quilt store) that store clerk would have had a sale! She even followed up with me when I was leaving the store and asked if she could find anything else for me. I felt bad leaving and I really did want to buy something from her. So how does good and bad customer service effect consumer behavior?

Customer service has a huge impact on how people spend money and where they shop. It all ties back to a person's emotions.  If someone feels unwelcome or threatened in an environment, they more than likely aren't going to stick around and are definitely not going to financially support it. People will spread bad reviews faster than a person can snap their fingers.  Take a gander at the picture below and absorb how much of an impact poor customer service can have on a business. I think it is important especially for smaller stores to greet every customer that walks in the door and make sure they are doing okay.  I work really hard at the quilt store (even when it is really busy) to give each customer the attention that they demand.  So in my mind customer service doesn't slightly effect consumer behavior, it DRIVES it!!!