I was in line in the Barnes and Noble cafe the other day. There was a gal in front of me who wanted to order a "Venti" cafe mocha, but was short 15 cents....
"I would like the Venti size, but I only have $3.85," said the girl.
"Well, you could get the grande size," the cashier said.
If I had the cash myself (I was paying with debit), I would've handed the girl the 15 cents.
Now I'm sure we've all had times when we've been short a few cents to buy something. In my days as a cashier, I usually just let it slide. What's a few cents compared to the gratitude and happiness from a customer who is grateful for the generosity? And it was a rare occasion, so it's not as if I was actually "stealing" from the company. I thought of it as an investment in customer service. Ordinary Girl experienced this recently....
"I was embarrassed by his generousity. He didn't make a big deal about it, but it is a big deal to me. And I'll likely never forget it either. Now that is good customer service."
Remember the little things! Think of your customers as friends and they'll continue to come back and do business with you...
The first time this happened to me I was 14 or so and buying a roll of Lifesavers at a drug store. I was a penny short and the man in line behind me gave it to the cashier. I was astounded and that's made such an impact on me that I continue to pay it forward. Once every few years I find myself being the one with the few cents difference.
I've also experienced cashiers giving me back a few cents more when they didn't have the correct change. Sometimes it is the little things that bring you back.
Posted by: Glenn (Customer Service Experience) Ross | July 10, 2006 10:19 AM | Permalink to Comment