What is great customer service?

Added on 18th August 2010 by Fiona Yorke in Customer Service

Snip, snip, snip – a brilliant hairdressing experience!

I think my experiences are fairly typical when I say that excellent customer service that leaves you feeling delighted are often hard to come by.  Doubly challenging for me, as I train organisations on this stuff, and in some ways I am even harder to please!  So, when something really good happens I want to celebrate it.  I would like to share with you my latest hairdressing experience. 

My hairdresser of 7 years had decided to move on from my local salon, so I felt that it was time for a change.  Now, maybe you are with me when I say that your barnet is quite important: it frames your face, can enhance your image and maybe even increase your self-esteem; so getting it wrong is not an option.  I was therefore naturally anxious about trying somewhere new.  I decided on Baroque in Harrogate (some distance away from Richmond but worth it, I thought, if they were really good). 

I was warmly welcomed by the reception staff and promptly taken upstairs to meet the team who would be creating the magic! The rapport built by Hayley and Rebecca was excellent. They asked some really good questions like: “What impression would you like your hair to give?” and the usual, “How much time do you want to spend on your style everyday”.  They listened well and advised on a complete re-style (very worrying as I started to think “does my current style look a bit rubbish?” and then the, “can I trust them thoughts” crept in). 

My fears were unfounded as I left feeling absolutely re-invigorated, re-styled and dare I say it – fabulous and I actually believe I left the salon walking a little taller than usual.

So, what were they magic ingredients?  For me, it was the treating me as an individual, really caring about what they were doing and completely listening and responding with empathy to my queries.  There were the other bits that were also fantastic such as the complimentary hand massage and the endless cappuccinos I consumed.

I’d love to hear from any of you out there who have had a fantastic customer experience – what do you think makes exceptional service? 

Who are the customer service heroes in your area and why?