Poor Customer Experience = Major Lost Revenue

Well, last week I had quite the fantastic customer experience at our local physical therapy office. It was rainbows and unicorns all around!

What I didn’t tell you was the rest of the story. . . the use of our gift card. Here is the follow up! If you missed the Physical Therapy kudos blog, click here.

After our missed PT appointment, mom and I decided that since we were out anyway, we should visit the coffee shop and redeem our gift card. We were excited. This coffee roasters was new to us and we do love supporting local businesses, especially in the ‘off tourist’ season.

Unfortunately, here’s what happened when I walked in.

Local Shop Experience

There were two girls behind the counter. Three customers sitting. Neither employee verbally acknowledged me when I entered. I approached the counter and started to read about the specials, drink selection, and figure out what makes this particular coffee roasters special and different.

Employee number one came over and didn’t really smile. In fact, she didn’t engage with me much at all, I was the first to speak.

I told her I hadn’t been here before; it was my first time. I was looking up at the menu when I said this and she replied, “ok”, turned, and left me standing there.

WTF?

I was dumfounded and if I hadn’t been in a good mood with a free gift card, I probably would have turned around and walked out.

66% of consumers who switched brands did so because of poor service.

Esteban Kolsky ~ CEO of thinkJar

Barista number two came over after a few minutes. (I still wasn’t getting much from her by way of feeling welcomed.) However, I am the eternal optimist. I tried again and told her that it was my first time at this coffee shop. Holy moly, she actually lit up and started a little bit of a conversation. Finally! Finally, someone who will help make me feel welcomed.

I ended up getting mom her white chocolate mocha and something for myself. Do I remember what it was I purchased? No. The drink was not memorable. It will take a lot to get me to return.

However, if my Customer Service experience had been great, I’d gladly be back to try again and again.

The sales opportunity lost is enormous.

However, this could have been a very different experience.

Desired Experience at Your Shop

1. Look at me when I arrive
2. Smile. It makes people feel welcomed and that you’re approachable.
3. Greet me and followed up with a few simple questions. These questions could uncover a multitude of valuable information that could turn to huge profits.

• “Hello, what may I get you?”
• “It’s my first time here. I’m not sure.”
• “Thanks for coming in, what brings you here? Are you visiting the area?”
• “No, I’m a local. We just received a gift card from MCMC and wanted to try you out. I’ve been wanting to come down.”
• “Well I’m glad you did! We’ll have to thank MCMC for that. What do you typically drink? We have some fun daily specials here. . . .”

What information could have been learned?

• Getting information about the gift card would have been excellent marketing information about Co-branding for her manager or whoever’s brain child that was.
• She would have found out that I just started to enjoy coffee in 2017, I like cold brew and items that don’t taste like a straight up bitter coffee, I’m open to trying items like cold or hot matcha, chai, etc…

Discovery: Customer Needs

The list goes on. With just asking a FEW simple, routine questions she would have found out that I really like a good cold brew and sold me on that.

She could never know (unless a conversation happens) that I’m looking for a place locally that does a cold brew that I love.

How far will a customer go to get something they love?

Here’s a very personal example for you.

We were in Whistler for Jeff’s (husband) Iron Man in 2017. I popped into a dive looking coffee shop. It looked local and crusty and full of personality. They had THE BEST cold brew coffee.

I scooted back the next day just to purchase another, just before we were to leave, even though it was cold outside. It was out last day there and my last opportunity to purchase this amazing-ness.

I got back to Oregon and started sampling local coffee shop cold brew’s. I’d finally found a coffee treat that I liked!

The search went on and on as I could never find one that I enjoyed as much. It all tasted bitter to me. So, what did I do? I used the good old internet, looked up that dive coffee shop and gave them a call to find out the coffee they used!

This is in Whistler BC mind you. Canada. I live in Oregon.

I gave the husband the very obvious hint of what I wanted for my birthday and he went on the prowl. He found it! Sadly, the coffee cannot be shipped from Canada to the US. I’m not sure why, but I was highly disappointed.

My next step is to see if a friend can simply buy the beans and send me a birthday package. Or maybe I’ll try the shop and pay them extra for their time.

Yes, I like it THAT much. That’s what can happen when a customer loves your product.

The gal at the coffee shop who walked away and left me standing at the counter lost a business.

Buying is Based on Feelings

How much revenue is lost at this coffee shop? How many customers do you think they have on average in a day?

85% of customer churn due to poor service was preventable.
~Kolsky, CEO thinkJar

Many people want to shop local.

Also, customers want to feel like they matter.

Sales is about relationship. It doesn’t have to be a long-term drawn out commitment, but relationships involve questions and answers. And if no one bothers to ask any questions, the relationship dies or never even gets off the ground in the first place.

Click HERE for three easy steps to implement with employees to make sure my experience (above) does not happen at your business.