Shared Rant from Tina's blog

The following is just a small excerpt from Tina Lawver' wonderful blog ... http://theartfullife-tina.blogspot.com .

Tina is a special friend my sister and I have made because of a connection God created through the shop. She is also one of our consigners and we love her....the feelings she shares below about customer service I had to share with you.....

A bit of a rant
I finally got my work completed last night. A few signs for Country Gatherings plus an order, but the work goes so slowly having to manuever in this apartment, but I manage. So that work is done and I'll hop in the Focus and deliver them in just a bit.I like the drive there, seeing Deb and Terry, and seeing all the new goodies they will have displayed perfectly in the store. It makes my heart ache a bit cause I just wanna bring so many of those wonderful hand made treasures home with me, but I just can't accumulate much in this little apartment.I

I've had some frustrations lately and have wanted to just get it out so maybe I'll just do it quickly and get it over with. Customer Service is a VERB! It's a DO. I think some have lost the definition of it.

"Customer service is a proactive attitude that can be summed up as: I care and I can do."

Though there are many definitions, I like this one that just simply says "hey, I care about you and what you called or came in here for, this need that you have that I have promised to provide for, and I can do it and if I don't know how, I will find someone who can and I will learn from trying to help you and when the next person comes in with that need I won't have to find someone, I will know because I cared enough about you and your need to learn from you."
Is that too much to ask?

I have worked and served in customer service areas in several different capacities over my working career, I've been a trainer and a leader, mostly in sales and one who has dealt directly with customers on a daily basis.

ITS NOT BRAIN SURGERY, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A DEGREE, IT IS JUST PLAIN COMMON SENSE.

• Treat me as you would want to be treated
• make eye contact with me and acknowledge my presence
• Care about the fact that I chose you to provide for the need that I have
• Treat me like the guest that I am who intends to spend my hard earned buck in this place

In this day and age, in this economy, people better start caring about where you'll choose to spend that buck. I will always go to the one who cares about getting it. Customer Service is probably in the top 3 of my pet peeves (obviously) I've had some real incidents of bad service happen in the recent past and it has become so evident that it's a huge problem.

We need to be nicer to each other and care about each other so much more.
I said all that to say this. My visit to Country Gatherings today will be so great because consistently, these girls love on their customers. Value the fact that you took time to choose their store to spend time in. That's why they are crazy busy. They are doin' right.

So, if I could (and I might) come up with an award to give, it would be the Great Customer Service award and I would bestow this honor on the gals at CG. You gals rock and I feel like a rock star every time I visit. Thanks for your caring efforts and that is why I sell my work in your store.
That's my rant, guess I was due.
T

- Tina is the best!!!! But she totally summed up how we truly feel about our customers and the responsibility we have to them and I had to share her feelings with you, hope you and Tina dont mind!

Deb