Mac the Knife

Trust is an amazing thing, as children we tend to trust people immediately but as we grow older and more cynical trust has to be earned - it takes time but when it exists it is a powerful connection between management and employees, companies and customers.

When thinking about great customer service we might say "We can trust them to deliver". The Net Promoter Score is so powerful because we have to trust the company we are recommending not to let down our friend or colleague if they act on our advice. That is a big leap from being satisfied! But what about trust in the other direction? What about companies trusting their customers?

I was walking through my home town this week and met the parents of a very good friend of mine - the sort of parents whose kitchen floor I had sat on eating toast at 2.a.m in the morning after a night on the beer as a teenager. I knew they had just come back from a holiday of a lifetime in South Africa so stopped to find out how they had got on.

After the initial hellos I tried to ask about the holiday but Mrs. H was having none of it. She wanted to tell me about going to the butchers - she's lost it I thought! But she hadn't lost it - she was just amazed by a simple example of trust that just doesn't happen these days. Earlier in the morning she had been to see Mac Burnham who has recently opened his butchers shop. When she came to pay she realised she had forgotten her purse.
"No problem - give it me next time" said Mac.
Now Mrs. H isn't a regular - Mac's shop hadn't been open long enough to have regulars but he trusted her to come back. No doubt he made an assessment of the type of person she was but he was also confident enough in the quality of his product and the service he provides to know she would return.

We can spend a lot of time and effort trying to develop customer loyalty but what happens if they decide to shop somewhere else for one reason or another - are they being disloyal; should we feel hurt? No - we should trust our customers to make the right decision. From time to time they should have a look around and see what is on offer elsewhere. Just as we should be having a look around to see if we are still ahead of the game.

Like Mac we need to trust our customers - if we are truly great at what we do not only will they come back but they will tell their friends and colleagues why they are coming back. And so our business grows!

Fat Face smile makes all the difference

Sometimes you just know you are in a business that has thought deeper than the glossy exterior. That was certainly the case on Saturday in Fat Face. Normally I hate shopping but in Fat Face for some reason I feel inclined to have a look around and try things on. Maybe its the clothes, maybe its the decor. It's probably a combination of many things - one of the most important being its people.

On Saturday afternoon following my wife we entered the store near Covent Garden. We went our separate ways and I tried a few things on. Rejoining Karen as she was looking at something near the counter I heard the guy behind the till say to her "Nice top!" She turned around and gave him a smile - it was a Fat Face top she had bought the week before.

Eventually she got her fix and found something to buy - a belt in the sale. We went to pay, handed over the belt and also a 10% off voucher.

"Nice choice" he said. Looking at the voucher he apologised explaining that as the belt was already discounted we couldn't use the voucher but rather than leaving it there he continued "....but keep hold of it. We've got a fantastic new range coming in next week so come back in and use it then"

He then asked us where we had been and what we were doing next. We were off for a meal.
"Any idea where you are going? What sort of things do you like?"
A few minutes later we were on our way delighted with our shopping experience and with 4 different choices of restaurant - complete with directions.

Now we can put this down to some great customer service training. Finding a way to make a connection with the customer, dealing with disappointment, up-selling and going the extra mile. But I suspect it starts much earlier - at the recruitment stage.

When I think about other experiences I have had in Fat Face the people have always been great and this can't be down to chance. I suspect there is a fantastic recruitment process somewhere that ensures that they "Hire the Smile".

If you know please tell!