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Real Customer Service: Is it a Thing of the Past?

Tom
Posted by Tom on Apr 13, 2015

As part of the retail team at The Chopping Block, servicing our customers is the main focus of my job. Providing our customers with excellent service, education and great gourmet kitchen products is what we are all about.

Ringing up sales and stocking the sales floor is all a vital part of retail, but it goes much deeper than that for me. We have all shopped in stores where we have received bad service or no service at all. Our world has become filled with the self-serve experience where one wanders around in these big mega stores hoping to find the product you intend to purchase. You can even use the express check outs where you scan your own merchandise, bag it yourself, never talking to any retail personnel! Many of us shop online where there is no interaction with a human being at all... many products are sold at a discount and shipped directly to your door. I do most of my holiday shopping online just because I can do it in the comfort of my home, never having to leave my chair.

I have often thought that in the near future, there will be stores that have no customer service at all. Products would be stocked at night after closing, and customers will no choice but to do self check out. Look at how gas stations operate today. I remember that back in my early years, they were called service stations. Someone would come out and pump the gas for you, check your oil, wash your windows and thank you with a smile as your drove off and went on your way.

oldgasstation

Now, you pump your own gas, check your own oil, wash your own windows and swipe your credit card at the pump and drive away... there's no customer contact at all!

For over 25 years, I have devoted my career to the retail way of life. I was trained by some of the best who taught me that a business is not successful without good customer service that is personable and informative. They also told me that I would never make much money, because retail associates make very little money per hour. Why is it that the staff members that sell the products and services for a businesses make so little? When I was working for major retailers such as Sears, I came to realize that there is never enough help in the stores to properly service the customers. It's all about ringing up the sale, never leaving the cash registers.  

Have a question? Good luck trying to find someone to help! I have often thought that over time, retail associates will be obsolete. Robots will stock the shelves, the customers will ring up themselves at the registers, and you go on your merry way without interacting with any store personnel.This saddens me greatly. No customer service? What is this world coming to?  

I started working at The Chopping Block in June of last year. Here, customer service reigns supreme. Most smaller businesses still rely on providing great customer service, and The Chopping Block is no exception. Our Owner Shelley Young, and her management professionals embody the true meaning of great service! Our retail team strives very hard every day to not only provide a clean, well-stocked store but we try to go the extra mile to make sure our guests are taken care. It all starts with a warm, friendly smile and welcome offering helpful assistance/guidance with our products and services. We drop whatever we are doing and engage the customers, reassuring them we are there to help. 

Another way we say "thank you" is by offering our customers a complimentary food sample, such as our famous Truffle Salt Popcorn, plus fresh coffee and tea every day. Our guests know from past experience that they can ask any question and our staff will have an answer for them. If we don't carry the product, we go online to help them find it! If we don't know how to answer their question, we will get additional staff involved including our amazing culinary team. If you need a recipe, we provide it. If you need to know how long to cook your turkey, we will tell you. If you need to learn how to cook, we will teach you in our Culinary Boot Camp

So, if you are tired of shopping in the big mega stores, stop in and experience what true customer service is all about!

You may have noticed we have a new look online. Our new website is an extension of our customer service philosophy. While we only have a handful of products available for online purchase now, it's our goal to actually teach you how to use these products to help you be a better home cook. That's why we've included recipes, how to videos and other tips on using them. Peruse our favorite products online.

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Topics: retail, Cookbooks & Tools

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