Devoted to customer service and the principles of exceptional customer services

You're not the only one who thinks that, but staffing is an important issue that companies like Wal-Mart are seeking to solve. They have to attract and hire employees who, if they aren't knowledgeable at least have the capacity to be, and they have to put their employees in the best places to be of service to those who are most likely to need it.

Wal-Mart has to employ greeters (the last few of which I've encountered wouldn't even acknolwedge me as I entered), floor employees, stockroom employees, cashiers, managers, etc., train them and motivate them to do all the things you described here, while still preserving enough capital to keep prices at a level that will allow them to continue calling themselves a "discount retailer."

It seems easy, but when you're dealing with capital resources that measure into the hundreds of billions of dollars, it's a tremendous amount of pressure that can lead executives to miss the forest for the trees.

Hi Cam,

You've made some good points here. It all goes back to hiring people who are passionate in the first place. Unfortunately, these days they seem to be few and far between.

I believe you can do all those things you mentioned: train and motivate...and still have money left over. I don't think it has anything to do with money. It's about finding the right people to take care of the business.

Hi Maria,

Some great points on what doesn't cost anything to make things a little better from the CS front. If the company wants to really make sure these things happen, all they have to do is treat their employees well. A happy employee=good service & an awesome evangelist comes about.

customer is a king ! yes
but dont make him a mad king!

customer is a king ! yes
but dont make him a mad king

I agree Maria. And it's strategic as well. You may like this post: http://www.sandboxwisdom.com/sandbox_wisdom/2007/03/jay_the_waiter_.html

Damon,

I'm a firm believer that the "best things in life are free". It really doesn't cost anything to treat employees better and to simply have a good attitude about your business. That good energy will rub off onto your employees as well as the customer.

Sudarshana,

Yes! Customer is king ;) We are all kings and queens!

Shawnie,

Thank you for the tip!

How are we going to be free from the past?
What i would like to to do,is nothing. The response of the past is involuntary, it is not summoned or invited, it is upon us before we know it.

It is difficult to be poor in these United States of America. The very people who have the least, pay more to survive. A nail in a tire my be a minor inconvenience to some but can be the breaking point for others. So, is it any wonder the Wal-Mart employee, working for little pay, carrying the hardships and burdens of the working poor find it difficult to muster up a smile? My heart hurts for them.

Ah but give me an employee who comes from a family of sufficient means, surely they can smile and be courteous. You would think so. Unfortunately, my experience is that many have this since of entitlement that the world owes them, and they could care less about their jobs, the company they work for, or the customer they encounter. For they have not gone with out. I want to warn them, the working poor grow larger every day. But then I wonder, would a bright and cheery attitude help them to keep their job? No. It won’t help. My heart hurts for them.

I have over simplified the issue here. If ever we are to receive customer service with a smile, we had better quit complaining about it, and start looking harder into the reasons it is not forthcoming.