A friend of mine who works for United Airlines has seen many parts of the world and says that customer service in England is "so-so" - not good, not bad, just mediocre.
Then Andy Smith says that Starbucks' good customer service in the U.S. hasn't spread to England yet.
But Naomi has a different story to tell. Now mind you, this is an Amazon.co.uk experience - and Naomi kindly points out that Amazon was originally an "ahem" American company. You can read her story here...
You may also be interested in reading this article about how the U.S. "Robotic Style" of customer service is being criticized by a training manager in the UK. Phrases like "Have a nice day" are considered "robotic stock phrases" and lack sincerity. I can relate because I hear the "Have a nice day" phrase everyday - we're so numb to it that the words don't really make an impact on our day. Perhaps we could try different variations of the phrase along with a smile and eye contact...for example:
"I really hope you have a great day!"
"I hope you enjoy the _____ you purchased! Feel free to call us if you ever have any problems."
"It's been a pleasure helping you!"
Any other suggestions?
Related Post:
America vs. England in Customer Service
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