Customer Service at its core.
I can remember the sense of pride I felt as I first put on that red Westfield customer service uniform and walked to my allocated desk in the middle of the shopping centre. I was proud people recognised the uniform as a symbol of reassurance, information and guidance.
I thrived off answering the phone in 3 rings, having my lines to say and letting my natural love of people shine through with the infamous line, “I can’t do that specific request, but what I can do is this …” I LOVED customer service, and to this day, still execute all that training in my professionalism, networking events and language. I still carry an extra pair of stockings in my handbag in case the ones I’m wearing get a ladder! Point of the story is that when you have good training, a natural love for working with customers on the front line and a love for going above and beyond for your employer’s brand - customer service is everything.
For this topic, I asked the fearless leader of Sip & Ship, Diana Naramore, to help us promote the importance of well researched, evolving and well executed customer service.
Alongside her two teams at both their Ballard and Greenwood sites, Diana has said that she has not only made mistakes but continues to keep learning to ensure her customer service is a fluid pillar in her business.
Whether you read this interview with Diana and I below or watch our live event on IGTV (@thesmallbproject) - what you’ll come to understand is that customer service is a process. A process that cannot be ignored, be reactionary or relied on by someone else. Customer service is a service to your customers. As Diana said tonight, ‘Service is leadership and service is paramount to any business.’
From our IGTV interview and our interview below, here are three key pieces of golden advice I’ve learnt from Diana:
Use a growth mindset to plan and execute
Service is to succeed (train your team on self awareness + the room)
Use the opportunities (that includes bad reviews)
We’re only human, so mistakes will happen. Hubspot states, “If the company’s customer service is excellent, 78% of consumers will do business with a company again after a mistake.” But at least you tried.
I would like to thank Diana for her generosity, insights and time given to helping me bring this vital topic together. You and your teams are a testament to Sip & Ship’s success - thank you, x
Over to Diana, CEO + founder of Sip & Ship, Ballard & Greenwood:
1. Why is customer service a foundational pillar to you and your leadership team?
As consumers, we have a choice of where we want to spend our hard earned money and who we want to “gift it to” or spend it with. As a small business, understanding that consumers have a marketplace of choices, there should be no other reason why anyone would want to give Sip and Ship their business unless it was because our customer service is nothing short of exceptional.
2. What are the core pillars / values of Sip & Ship?
Sip and Ship is people centric, team oriented and community minded. We value kindness, quality and integrity. Our customer service and teamwork is rooted in four guiding principles (courage, hard work, authenticity and gratitude). They guide our self-awareness, decision making, communication and collaboration with an aim to assist, learn and grow. They set the context on how we operate together and keep us in lock step with our commitment to community.
3. Why do you think you attract such superstars to your team?
Does it have anything to do with your brand, your brand image, etc?
It has a lot to do with our brand of service and what we stand for. Some of our best hires share a passion for people, enterprising small businesses and participating as an active member in the community. One of the best compliments we consider is when our customers recommend their family members to work with us - this makes our hearts burst with great pride. We particularly enjoy the opportunity of being one of their first jobs.
Teaching them the value of service and teamwork will serve them well for years to come with their family, classmates and career goals. It’s a privilege investing in their self-confidence and seeing the light go off when they have success. Learning from a breakdown in communication or misunderstanding often transitions into growth, building trust with our team, providing a greater sense of self-confidence with who they are and how they impact others. This is not only transformational in our organization but transferable skills employees can carry with them along their career path.
* Sip and Ship considers itself more of a milestone than a stepping stone -
both in career development and helping employees their place in the world. *
4. What does the training look like when a new member starts?
From day one, we invest in the individual and their potential contributions on our team. We provide a comprehensive training program and practice linear learning through peer-to-peer coaching and cross-training. This is a continuous process and is adjusted as changes occur within our industries (coffee, mailing and retail), and in our communities and world events.
5. What is the complaint procedure? And why is it so important for you to come back to that customer ASAP?
Complaints are never easy to hear but we view them as an opportunity to allow our customers to be heard and for Sip and Ship to look introspectively and take a closer look on how we can improve our awareness and service whenever possible. We pride ourselves on the ability to face challenges head on and to get them addressed as quickly as possible. This commitment allows us to restore faith in our customers, build loyalty and lasting relationships.
6. The data states that repeat customers are likely to spend 67% more - have you seen this return in store?
The Sip and Ship team works hard to provide a welcoming, friendly and helpful experience to anyone who enters our shops. As online commerce continues to grow, our efforts to enhance the package return experience is a high priority. When unsuspecting customers walk in to drop off their prepaid returns, Sip and Ship offers an easy drop off location, free tape and the option to print shipping labels with ease.
7. 73% of customers say they stay loyal to brands because of friendly customer service … have you seen, in your 20 years of business, a trend of seasonal loyalty / spending?
Yes, Sip and Ship can back this up. Every year during the holiday season, we have guests that drive all the way from Marysville or Tacoma to mail their family’s holiday gifts with us because we keep their addresses on file and have efficient processes in place that removes the stress from a hectic time of year. While Sip and Ship works hard to earn new business, we work just as hard to keep our loyal customers equally delighted and happy.
8. Where else have you seen EXCEPTIONAL customer service?
Nordstrom is high on my list of consistently providing professional and personable service. It’s not forced but all of their employees are pleasant, thoughtful and attentive. This is our vision for Sip and Ship.
HomeStreet Bank is one of my favorite places - not only do they help me manage my money they take an active interest in my business, family and pet Ruby - personalizing a sanitized environment into a
warm and welcoming one.
9. Where have you seen SHOCKING customer service?
Poor customer service is when I experience employees who are unaware, inattentive and uninterested. When a customer walks into an establishment and is ignored or there are more important things going on behind the counter this makes me feel as though I am imposition or interruption - and less important.
The antithesis of Sip and Ship.
10. Advice to small businesses constructing out their customer service manuals.
Manuals and playbooks are a great tool for any business to share their vision and mission with its employees. However, exceptional customer service doesn’t stop with the creation of a manual. We are constantly refining how we serve our community. Change is the only constant and important to evolution for any person and business. Service is the cornerstone of Sip and Ship and our standards of service distinguish who we are as people and how our company has been able to survive over the years.
Understanding that training is a continual process is key - it’s hard work but worth the effort. Not only do we have our initial process, but we encourage peer-to-peer training and coaching - always looking for ways to integrate best approaches into our high service standard. We routinely celebrate wins, ask our team for their feedback and waste no time incorporating their recommendations within our organization.
Thank you Diana & congratulations to the teams at Sip & Ship on your successes!
On a final note … one of our favourite quotes to leave you with:
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou.
Make customer service your priority - you will never know how it will affect your business internally and externally until you try, and keep trying.
