"Beep beep beep, bomp bomp boop, beep bo bip BEEEP"

"Hello…Welcome to the automated customer service center. We will now give you 5 options to choose from to get to the next level of service, please select now…."

"BEEP"

"Thank you for choosing, now please state what service you need using 1 word clearly spoken"

"Representative"

"Sorry..I didn't get that. Please repeat"

"Service"

"That is not an option, Please try again"

"A live person"

"...Could you repeat please?"

"Operator"

"I'm sorry, if you would like to speak to a customer service representative, please press 0 now"

"THWOMP"….that was my head…on my desk.

There are usually 2 outcomes from a customer service experience such as this one. I rejoice in having the patience to survive the time-sucking gauntlet of robot-lady voices to the final goal of reaching a live person, OR, I'm mad as a hatter for having to explain my question once reaching a live person after selecting 20 options to get to the one who should KNOW why i am calling in the first place!    

Technology is a wonderful thing which can streamline daily processes; it is also the root all of evil for people who just want to talk to somebody! Consider this interaction after picking up the phone and dialing another 10 numbers...

"Beep beep" "beep beep"

"Gillespie Florists this is Sarah, how may I help you?"

(oh you had me at hello, you're human right off the bat)

Speaking to someone directly makes things better immediately. You are not waiting 10 minutes to reach an individual, you pick up the phone and tadah! There they are!  Granted you might have to listen to some interlude music but you're 1 person from your destination instead of playing 20 questions with the robot lady.  I don't know about you but given the choice, I choose a human. Now why would this be important?  To me, that's part of great customer service, which is one of many advantages of working with small businesses and shopping local.  

Customer service is important to the survival of small companies because lets face it, given the choice if you have a bad experience  with a company, do you want to return with your business? Give them your hard earned money to feel like another drop in the bucket, an expendable customer? Um...not me and hopefully not you either!   How does a business keep you coming back but through quality, price, and great customer service? I want to go where everyone knows my name (well...that's a long shot) but where I can walk in the door and am greeted with a friendly hello, perhaps see a friend, and start shopping, or getting seated for a meal. 

My little family doesn't do a great deal of shopping, however we do have 1 meal out a week on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. There are about 6 restaurants on our rotation and they are all local, small restaurants.  Sure we will hit up a food chain once in a blue moon but the majority of the time, I like the little places for a number of reasons.

1. Great food 

2. Good price for the great food

3. Longest wait time is usually 10 minutes ( in kid time, that's 2 hours)

4. Friendly staff   

5. Great service

We have been going to these restaurants for years.  I love the fact we can go in and see familiar faces. We can sit down and the guy who preps the table and pours the water automatically gives us an empty styrofoam cup for our youngest because he remembers our routine. Another favorite place, we don't need to say "booth seating with a high chair please". We walk in the door, they smile and wave us on back with a high chair in tow. It's the little things which make a big difference. Scratch that, it's the PEOPLE who make the difference, and they are the reason why we return to those places and spend the time and money that we do there.  

Something to think about as Small Business Saturday approaches towards the end of November every year. What stands out in your shopping experience?  Is the the percentage off price tag or the person making friendly small talk as your purchases are rang up.  The waiter who smiles and asks a follow up question to your 6 year old when he blurts out what he learned about pilgrims yesterday?

Or maybe you just happen to visit your local florist, perhaps Gillespie Florists, having no clue what you need but by golly, you have GOT to get something for your mothers holiday dinner tomorrow.  

Walk in the door and be greeted with a smile and friendly staff looking forward to helping you out, or pick up the phone and chat with someone who can help find the perfect bouquet. Little things make a big difference. And a little less time conversing with robot-lady doesn't hurt either.  

Click here or come on by our location off 10th & Raceway to see what we have to offer in celebration of Small Business Saturday! We are proud and ready to serve you!

Like what we do? Leave us a Review on one or more of these places below!