Customer Service

For most businesses last year was about keeping costs down, not spending money and making do. They called it 'being efficient'.

This year it seems the focus is on service, something which we can all appreciate.

I was asked last week to think of examples of great service I had received recently and examples of bad service. Depressingly, I had more examples of bad service, which either means my standards are unusually high or we have focused for too long on the price of products and forgotten that service has a value as well.

I shared an example of 'service that could have been better' that involved putting my car into a garage. The people were perfectly nice and they ended up fixing the car but it took 10 days. After two days I hadn't heard anything so I called them for an update but they hadn't started to look at it yet despite the fact that I had 'booked my car in'. This pattern of me phoning for information was maintained throughout, despite my sharing with them that being without a car meant I had to make alternative plans, so knowing how long it would be was going to be helpful. But that didn't change anything.

A business that does think about its customers is Darts Farm near Topsham in Devon. Numerous retailers under one-roof with the nucleus being a wonderful farm shop and cafe that is always busy.

Not only are the people very friendly and helpful but the service starts in the car park with its dedicated parking for dog owners, which provides shade for the pooches whilst you're shopping. A really simple idea that shows they have thought about who their customers are.

A measure of my own levels of service was evident this weekend during the Big Garden Birdwatch, which all wildlife lovers will know is about listing and counting the number of bird species you can see in your garden. Most birds in our garden are enticed by bird food hanging from an apple tree but in recent weeks my level of service to the birds has dropped off, the result being they have taken their business elsewhere and decided to boycott our garden out of protest.

A stark reminder to me that this is definitely the year of good service.