The lady in the grocery store

Just a few steps from me there is a large supermarket offering a variety of products including a wide selection of fresh fruits. This morning when I walked by this supermarket on my way to a small grocery store on the corner, I wondered: How come I frequent this grocery store which also has fresh fruits, but the supply is very limited in comparison, and the prices tend to be much less competitive?

Because it has something I have not yet managed to find in any large supermarkets: an exceptional customer service. From the first day I entered her small shop, she struck me as a very attentive and friendly person. A smile that welcomes you and asks how she can be of help to you, how she can assist you, and during the whole process you feel like she really cares for you to find what you are looking for.  And if you don’t, she is the first one to suggest that you try and find it in the larger supermarket beside her!

It’s true that every day there are fewer grocery stores, and more large supermarkets. But this one has managed to survive and I assure you that after watching the traffic it gets every day, it will continue to exist for a while longer. Perhaps unknowingly, she has discovered that the secret to compete with the big ones is to go beyond simply providing a product.  Her success lies in caring and giving such a level of service that when you leave her shop you are feeling better than when you came in.

We live in times when stress is all around us. But this only means that it is easier to stand out and differentiate yourself in the area of customer service, because our human need to be heard and be taken into account, only gets intensified. Take a lesson from the lady in the grocery store and let us pay a little more attention and give better service. Remember that we all are clients, even you. This small change can become the reason why your customers will prefer to come to you, even if you’re a little further down the road, or even if your prices are not the most competitive.

-Franklin