Where the Dough is

It’s amazing how much difference one person can make to a business.

There is a local donut shop I like to go to on Saturdays. The owners have a few in the region and a location where they bake the sugary goodness early in the morning. When I started going I got to know one of the sons of the family who ran the front counter for walk in customers. He had a friendly demeanor and worked quick, always asking if there was anything else he could do, offered deals on dozen boxes. He had a natural customer service attitude, the kind all retailers depend on. He didn’t miss much work, as I could tell, and was always sunny and attentive. He wasn’t likely to leave for another job but anyone needing a salesman for their business might have easily snatched him up.

He does other work now for the family. I talked to his brother this morning who has taken over daily service duties, bagging donuts for walk in customers and selling coffee to hurried workers. He isn’t the attentive employee his brother was. He seems to be fighting off sleep most days and his tone suggests he has better things to do. He isn’t completely rude but he is dismissive and moves slowly through the morning, reluctantly stuffing doughy treats into sacks and punching sales totals into the register. He doesn’t talk much and gives the impression that walk in customers are interrupting something, probably just his empty thoughts.

Customer service isn’t a lost art but I wonder how much businesses really focus on it nowadays. Given enough time people go where the food is good and the service is friendly. Local places can survive for a while on legacy and exclusive offerings but service keeps people coming back. Small companies are especially slaves to friendly sales associates because they lack a managing hierarchy that angry customers can appeal to. 

 Who gets the complaint if the service is lousy? The boy’s mom? She might scold him in the moment but family dynamics always come into play. The dressing down isn't likely to stick. "That's just mom nagging me again" he is likely to think. Family relationships come before boss and employee relationships. Better to hire out, it’s less messy that way.

Successful stores have an established code of behavior for workers and evaluate that behavior on regular basis. This is apparent in companies that expand and grow. When employees understand the specifics of their job and are held accountable they flourish, or get fired. The attitude of one employee should never determine the success or failure of the overall project.

Small companies often don’t consider this when beginning a venture. After securing the financing and selecting the logistics, raw materials, wholesalers, buildings, city code compliance, there isn’t time for training. Just get the project up and running the thinking goes, so training gets overlooked. If they’re fortunate, an effective and eager employee, maybe a family member, handles the job well. If unfortunate, the struggling company will run off customers quicker than a listeria outbreak.

It's tough to add another critical 'to do' to already expansive list owners have to consider, but in dealings with the general public don’t skimp on friendly and attentive. Either teach it or hire git from somewhere else. It should be self-evident that people who are giving you money need to be treated like… well, like someone giving you money.

Don’t overdo it. Just smile, be quick and greet them coming in. Some stores have gone a little far with the warm greetings and “How can I help you?” type queries. I am not crazy about the “My pleasure” phrase that Chik-fil-A uses. I can tolerate the energy soaked barista at the gym juice bar, “Bro! you got to try this, loaded with protein!” But if they go too far it is because they’ve learned the lessons of pissing off the wrong customer. They see value in good service.  

Some, like Quick Trip, are legendary for speed and convenience. The model works. The gas station/short order/market puts up new stores about every 5 minutes (not quite). Keep the employees moving fast and teach them to be nice. Oh and most importantly, fire the ones who don’t get it.

Small shops and businesses hoping to grow should focus on customer service for employees, if not they flip a coin on success. Learn from the big stores on this.