I think that sometimes it not just the products or the price that makes you come back to a store (or avoid it like the plague!). It’s the customer service that can make a transaction really memorable. I’m obsessed with good customer service, I really notice it when cashier says and please and thank you, and gives you a bit of eye contact too. I’m a real stickler for good manners (I can’t help it; it must be something to do with my Mum constantly nagging us as kids to say our Ps & Qs).
Today I experienced really good customer service and also bad customer service. First the good customer service. Last week I purchased an egg cooker (I cook a mean fillet steak, but I can’t for the life of me cook a perfect soft boiled egg) from a seller on eBay. I received the cooker the following day (which was fast – much appreciated) and it worked fine on the 1st use however, it didn’t work the 2nd time, or the time after that. I sent an email to the seller explaining the problem and he very swiftly sent an email in which he apologized and asked for my address so he could send a replacement. In my book that’s brilliant service, no nonsense swift communication and pleasant. Because of that experience it doesn’t matter that the cooker broke-down and I would be more than happy to shop with him again.
And for the bad customer service? I’ve just taken up boxing training (it’s such ace fun). I bought myself a pair of pink boxing gloves from a sports kit website mid-last week and I only got a confirmation email today that my order has been processed – this means that it has taken them 5 days to process, pack and dispatch my order. I wouldn’t mind so much but the company is based in the UK (as am I), the postage is rather costly, and the website promises 2 days to process and dispatch. Harrumph! I may well need more boxing kit as I progress to Rocky Balboa standard, but I won’t be buying from that store again…
I think if you run a shop it’s good to make every single customer feel important (because they all are!). This way there is a better chance that they will become regular customers. I often get new customers who make small first orders to test the waters (to see if they like the quality of the products and to see if the service is up to standard) and I’m very lucky that a lot of them become repeat customers 
What sort of things do you to do to give great customer service? Have you experienced really crap customer service lately?
Not the best way to make your customers feel important!
Pic credit: College Recruiter
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Kris is a fun and crafty mom of four. She expresses her creativity as the owner of Jesse Kate Designs, a sewing pattern and machine embroidery brand. Kris also stays busy as the site manager of 
Crissy is the founder of 
Lisa is a generally content (who said generally - don't get her started!) 30 something living in London, who amongst other things sells everything you might need to make unique and lovely handmade handbags at home from her online store 
If I do a custom order, I will e-mail to the customer firstly a photo of my concept to make sure I interpreted the request precisely, then take another of the finalized product before shipping.
If the sale is of a displayed item, I will add a small token of appreciation with the purchase.
If it’s a website, and they have good service, I might go back to buy stuff from them again.
However, for stuff like Amazon marketplace, I just leave a good feedback for them but won’t pay attention or take note to come back again. After all, there are many sellers out there with good feedbacks. I’m more likely to search for a product than to search for a seller.
Kelvin Kao’s last blog post..Seamus and Magellan – Day 2
I sell on eBay so I make sure that I send items either the day or at the latest, the day after a customer has paid. I email the customer to let them know that their order is on the way. I also offer full refunds, though am happy to say, very few people have ever asked for one. I add a little personal note in with each parcel as well. But really, I see that as the basics of decent service.
When weight of the parcel allows, I add little extras in that I think the customer will like. For example, if they’ve bought a piece of fabric, I’ll add some other small pieces in. If they’ve bought paper or stickers, I add some more of those pieces in. If they’ve bought a gift item or a kimono, I try to add something like a handmade bookmark. Mind you, sometimes, I have trouble of thinking of what to add for some of my male customers….
I have many regular customers, so I’ve found out from them what they use the fabric for and what type they like the best, so I personalise their little extras.
I have to say, Lisa, I’ve ordered from you before and was delighted by your serivce. I loved the little smiley face on your personal note and the candy went down really well
I’ll certainly be back again!
Melanie’s last blog post..This is… Me (gatecrashing the) Taking A Photo Of Myself In The Mirror With My Favourite Accessory Meme
I couldn’t agree with you more! Even in a doctor’s office, you may have the world’s premier doctor, but if the front desk staff are uncaring and/or incompetent, it sours the deal completely (at least for me).
My worst customer service recently was from Home Depot (huge chain in the US). It is too long and boring a story to recount here, but I will say that it involved everything from lack of attention to detail, no follow-through, incompetence and downright rudeness. It took them 2 months to credit my account with $1300 I had spent, to boot. I used to be a regular customer, but never again. Funny, eh, since I was mistreated by one small part of a huge chain, yet it gave me a bad taste about the whole operation and I just won’t deal with them any more.
I notice good service and I take pains to let people know when I get it. I will ask who (higher up) I should contact to let them know how well I was treated. And then I do it. I would much rather compliment than complain (but I won’t hesitate to complain mightily if it’s called for!).
I recently ordered from a site for the first time. Each item I ordered had a quantity number next to it, to show how many they had in STOCK. When I got an email letting me know that only 2 of my 4 items would be shipped, I enquired. Turns out I was pre-ordering. Even though they showed it was in stock, they wouldn’t be getting it for another 2 months! They should have mentioned that. Then it turns out that the company hadn’t put in the order to receive those items. After a couple months they placed the order and it was back ordered! Why sell and take my money when they didn’t even know when they would be carrying it.
After 2.5 months, I finally received my order and it was wrong! They asked me to send it back but they weren’t going to refund the shipping cost. Why did they expect me to pay for their mistake? SIGH.
Tina’s last blog post..New Target Bag
Banks are the worst offenders in my opinion. They have all the power, they have your money and they can put your life on hold if they feel like it. I read somewhere that you are more likely to get hit by a car than you are to change your bank. Oh don’t get me started …
) and I got the most wonderful feedback from a first timer who really appreciated the extra little touches I added to her order – she had only used ebay before. She’ll now tell all her friends and hopefully be back again. Why can’t everyone make the effort?
Your shop, OTOH, has wonderful customer service and I will always come back for bag bits. I run an Etsy shop (don’t we all
Anna Chadwick’s last blog post..Getting into a lather
Agree 100%. With over 10 years in the service industy, nothing ticks me off more than rude frontliners who not only look so sour you feel you’re talking to a lemon, they don’t even say please or thank you.
And so, now that I have my own home based food delivery biz, customer service is up there with food quality in terms of priority. Rain or shine, whether I’m sweating like a pig or dripping wet like a fish, I deliver on time, with a smile and a big thank you. I don’t expect anything in return, but I know that my customers appreciate and respect our level of customer service because we get lots of referrals.