Customer Service

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Shayla

Shayla

WOW Framer
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Posts
35,841
Loc
Washington State
Something happened that I'm so happy about I want to share it
with you. At dinner the other night, one of my close friends told me
about a recent conversation she had. Michelle was talking with someone and happened to mention my name. She said the lady lit up and asked, "Do you know Shayla? Are you friends with her?" Then she started talking about how much she enjoyed coming into our shop for framing and said, "She gave me the best customer service I have ever had."

That made me feel so good. There are plenty of ways I'm not together as a person, and we could probably all say that, but it feels so good to celebrate the ways that we succeed. While I do want to keep getting a steady paycheck and coming up with great designs, the thing that I run on is connecting in a good way with other people. So often in this day and age, people feel like they are anonymous and don't really matter in the broader world. More than the framing, my goal is to help people feel like they are important and cared about. Because it's true. It's really encouraging to hear that she felt that way after dealing with us.

It's also a sad commentary on the status quo that just being treated properly has come to stand out as exceptional service. In this environment, it makes it all the easier for us to stand out to our customers. People say that the best way to compete is to offer what the other guy doesn't. When everyone else starts to treat customers like so many cattle, we will shine just by treating them with common courtesy and the kind of integrity they thought was long gone.
 
I had a similar experience last night. We went to a department store to return some things and I decided to look in the men's department for some dark blue pants to go with a sportcoat Terry bought me. One of the salesladies recognized me but couldn't figure out where from. I said I was "Rick from Frameworks". She lit up and started going on and on about how she had brought something in to be reframed and how I had suggested certain matting colors and she was unsure about them but decided to take my advice, and that they worked out so well, she was so happy, etc. Terry told me later that while I was trying things on she had told Terry what a pleasure it was to come to my shop etc. That really made my day.
Sometimes it's hard to know about the results of our work, and if what we do makes a difference. It's gratifying to find out that it does.
:cool: Rick

shayla said:
...we will shine just by treating them with common courtesy and the kind of integrity they thought was long gone.
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True enough.
 
I hear ya'. That genuine desire and the ability to fufill it are two of the keys to creating customer loyalty. And I need to have a job where that kind of positive interaction with people happens.
 
I had something like this happen this weekend. I was out at a Biker build convention promoting the business and doing face and body painting.
I had a lot of my customers come up and talk to me and tell me how happy they were with the work that I had done with them!! Some were shocked to know that I remembered their pieces.......that where that photographic memory comes in handy!! ;)
I even had one guy track me down out there because he has more work for me to do.....:shrug: I love that....being able to help them...you can almost see relief in their faces ..you know?

OH and the kids face painting!! ........OH my........I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing their faces for the first time...when they see what I've painted on them.....omg......that is the BEST EVER!! I had one little girl give me a big hug and take a picture with me.....I LOVE THAT;) A little boy told me I was AWESome! gota love the kids!
P.s. see picture on profile album tomorrow:D
 
I agree 100% with you Shayla! It's that part of the job that I like most, making people genuinely happy with their framing experience. I always take the time and even after the sale is closed, I usually end up letting the customer talk a bit more and longer. I will never rush them. You end up with some extremely interesting conversations and make it a very pleasant experience for the customer. I like the personal touch, don't we all?
 
Sometimes, when a customer we know gets all excited comes in to pick up, I will have our help who did the framing take their order to the front so they can get the thankyou's.
Neat to see the look on their face when someone gets soooo excited over their work.

Have to get them into the back room quick cuz when their head swells up they can't get back thru the door to work. hehehe
 
I had someone tell me a little story yesterday at church.

he said he was talking with a friend of his who mentioned that he had something to be framed and he said 'well, i have a friend who does framing' the other person spoke up and said 'oh, i have all my stuff done at the framing corner"

thats me, so it worked out on both sides.
 
I had a customer tell me she had two personal "customer service" favorites in town--the Verizon store and US! So I went into the Verizon store the day after our store burned down, to have the store phone # put on a cell phone, so we wouldn't lose contact with our customers. The Verizon team went above and beyond! They were and have been GREAT!

That same customer came in today, after we'd had another 2" of snow dumped on us and she asked if we had a shovel. I pointed to the one next to the entry door and she picked it up and started shovelling a path out to the parking lot! (The sidewalks in front were clear!) I grabbed it from her and finished the job, while the landlord's maintainance guy met me in the middle!

How GREAT can customers be? She thinks WE go "above and beyond!"

Wendy
The Art Corner
Salem, MA
 
I have one customer that says that some of her friends have "personal trainers, and she tells them that she has a "personal framer", and "she loves his perfect corners".

Comments like that are certainly welcomed.

I always ask my very satisfied customers for referrals, because that means I can grow my business and stay around a little longer.
 
So do you think Walmart or Michaels have stories like these?
 
When Sam was alive. Different time, different store. The Sam Walton that I knew had a huge store . . . and everything was "Made in USA" if he could get it.
It made a 8 page spread in LIFE magazine.

Go Charlton Athletics!!
 
A common thread here is that most of these satisfied people didn't take the time to tell the provider of their happy experience directly. So here is a reminder that the next time someone does more than you would expect (or, at least, more than you have come to expect), TELL THEM!
 
That's a really good bit of advice, David. One thing I love about my job is that customers do say appreciative things all the time. It's extra nice to hear it as second hand news, though.

Your point is a good one, and well taken. Quite often, when a business person has been around for awhile and does well at what they provide, people stop thanking them. It's like when someone looks fantastic every day, how many people keep saying, "You look so nice today."It's easy for even a successful businessperson to start feeling a bit invisible and taken for granted. (Ha.....I'm sure there are plenty of people who might apply this thought to marriage, as well.) When we take the time to remind the people around us how much we still value their help, it can encourage them more than we would have guessed. I know it sure does feel good to be on the receiving end.
 
imaluma said:
Well I know at least AB and Corners did back when I worked for them!:p
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No matter where people work, they all have potential, want to please their customers, and see their companies prosper. Trouble is, so many larger operations don't let their employees excel. Undertrained, understaffed, limited scope and freedom.

That's why we can kill them.
 
tedh said:
So do you think Walmart or Michaels have stories like these?
Click to expand...

I'd say absolutely. Every where you go you meet dedicated workers and clock punchers. And customers with varying degrees of expectation. Some may want our expertise, some may want us to work within their budget, some may want to be told that their taste in framing (dresses, shoes food....) is right for them and they should go with it.

I've seen great restaurant workers at McDonalds and lousy ones at expensive restaurants. Recognize good service, and commend the person when you think they did a great job! It is important to hear, especially if you're working at McD'S!

Besides a lot of us hire people from the BBs. If we thought that they all did crappy work then we'd toss their resumes as soon as we saw a BB on it.
 
You are so right, Bob. Years back when I managed a graphic art studio I went to McD's. There was a guy there who was such a hustler I called him over and gave him my card.

One day, while he was on his lunch hour, he came over unannounced and asked for an application. Turns out he was a grad of University of Virginia, hadn't found work yet, and was busting it until he found something.

I hired him to work in our darkroom and he was the best hire I ever made. There are good people, hard workers, in many places. I was lucky to spot Bill.
 
Bob Doyle said:
I'd say absolutely. Every where you go you meet dedicated workers and clock punchers. And customers with varying degrees of expectation. Some may want our expertise, some may want us to work within their budget, some may want to be told that their taste in framing (dresses, shoes food....) is right for them and they should go with it.

I've seen great restaurant workers at McDonalds and lousy ones at expensive restaurants. Recognize good service, and commend the person when you think they did a great job! It is important to hear, especially if you're working at McD'S!

Besides a lot of us hire people from the BBs. If we thought that they all did crappy work then we'd toss their resumes as soon as we saw a BB on it.
Click to expand...


A BB is a good place to hone basic skills, at least it was for me. The volume of customers you have to deal with gives you a lot of experience with a broad range of needs. I attribute my fine sense of customer service to my five years at corners. And my bang up skills in fillets. And my speed. AB taught me how low I would not go.
 
Jack Flynn said:
You are so right, Bob. Years back when I managed a graphic art studio I went to McD's. There was a guy there who was such a hustler I called him over and gave him my card.

I hired him to work in our darkroom and he was the best hire I ever made. There are good people, hard workers, in many places. I was lucky to spot Bill.
Click to expand...

This is the number one way I have found new staff over the years. My last great employee I stole from a video store. Good service can cross many industries and good framers can have terrific customer service skills or they can be defensive and cranky, which is offputting to people.

Everyone would do well to keep a look out for potential employees everywhere. Keep cards on hand for when someone offers you great, cheerful service.
 
This has been an encouraging thread. And you all are spot on about finding a jewel anywhere. Or learning to be one. Reminds me of the horse whisperer guy I dated. There are guys who travel the country giving workshops called 'clinics'. He's good friends with one of the most popular, and he's done it himself some too. I asked him once who were the best teachers. He named a few guys who were great and a couple who were not good with horses but great at self-marketing. He shook his head at the fact that they had so many people thinking they knew something. Then he said, "But if you're really wanting to learn, even someone like that can be helpful. It can show you how not to be and what not to do. Then you can appreciate the right way better."

I had a lady tell me yesterday that she got some framing done at another local frame shop. She told a friend and they said, "Oh, no. You need to take your framing to Shayla..." That felt really good. :)
 
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