Why many people do not support their local operator even when they feel they should / Nigel Risner

Nigel Risner and his very important ‘customer satisfaction’ question  ..  Should you support your local independent stores?

This week I decided to venture into our local post office where we have been going for more than ten years and experienced first hand why many people do not support their local operator even when we feel we should.

I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and I understand that people have off days and sometimes people are just not at their best. But what I witnessed and experienced in the post office was so unbelievable especially with so many post offices (sub post offices) being forced to shut down I can nearly understand why the Post Office have taken these decisions.

As a monkey (communication styles) I was slightly disorganised and needed the post office to lend me three strips of sellotape. This was obviously too much to ask and I was offered one sticky label instead. At the same time I needed to enclose some cash in a card and asked for 2 £5.00 notes in exchange for a £10.00. I was told to wait until she had finished the first transaction as it would be too confusing.

Slightly confused

To often in retail establishments we are told that they don’t have access to open the till but amazingly if you do a transaction they can – at this particular post office there was no till so I was slightly confused as to why she would not change the £10.00 note.

On completion of my first transaction she then told me it was against the law to exchange money unless it is part of a transaction.

For those of you who have met me I either have to make a decision to run a management training course with them or think how best I can use this as a new story for my next presentation.

For the record, I am asked approximately five times a day “where do I get my material from?” my answer is “I just go shopping and get shite service”.

Eventually one of the other staff members sees me, smiles at me and hands two £5.00 notes.

Do I want to go back to this particular post office?

Do I want to support the local community?

You tell me?

I won’t name and shame my local post office – just to say there is a film studio at the end of the road.

We all have to decide what do we do daily that gets in the way of giving phenomenal customer service?

What ridiculous ground rules have we made up to be unhelpful so that another customer decides to go elsewhere and to tell approximately 50,000 people in their newsletter

Since this newsletter is shared all over the world the ramifications are even bigger if you want to be global remember your local market dictates your global presence.

Nigel Risner
Garden House, Garden Close
Arkley, Herts EN5 3EW
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 208 447 1732

Fax: +44 (0) 208 447 0019

Email: nigel@nigelrisner.com

photo credit: enric archivell via photopin cc