As business owners integrate new technologies in their race to create “lean, profit making machines” we’ve all become fodder for the obvious outcome – an absence of service in our everyday lives.

We pump our own gas, we do our own banking online, and we scan our own purchases at the building supply stores. I think we initially accepted reduced service with the expectation of paying less – but somehow along the way we were taught to simply “expect less”.

We’re content to trot up and down the aisles of the big box stores in search of our stuff and if you happen to encounter a real customer service professional along the way it becomes a noteworthy experience. Call me crazy but I miss the kind of pampering (it was worth a few cents a litre) when you used to pull up to a real full service gas station.

It’s all laughable to me, because in my opinion I think we need more personal interaction (and I’m not talking Facebook) in our everyday business models – not less.

Just recently a friend of mine was at his wits end trying to find a natural stone sealer for his floor. He required one $29 bottle to do the front entry hall of his house. After several unsuccessful stops and retailers all claiming the same story “we don’t stock that brand”, he was about to give up. Deciding to try one more outlet on his way home he encountered a much different response . The salesperson explained that the specific sealer he was looking for was not a product they sold, but they could make a few calls for him if he would like. My friend readily agreed and after a few calls the $29 sealer was found and ordered. Any one of the other flooring retailers (had they wanted to) could have put the same effort forward.

When my buddy ask the helpful salesperson why they put so much effort into finding the sealer for such an obviously small sale she simply replied, “I’m on that side of the counter sometimes too”. There’s absolutely no doubt who will get the business the next time my friend or any of his friends need flooring.

When every interaction becomes a calculation of time and money, I believe the bigger picture is lost. If it is always about the money, then in the end nobody wins.

In most cases when we go above and beyond what is common place – we actually service our WOW factor (sometimes all it requires are a few calls). It’s how some of the best businesses turn satisfied customers into Raving Fans!

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Greg Cole – President
ColeBuilt – Atlantic Canada’s Custom Home & Renovation Specialists