When one customer went into Dave’s Markets, she was anticipating only getting a few items quickly, but a half-hour later she left with a full shopping cart and feeling quite special. In those short 30 minutes, many employees had asked her if she needed help and a cashier even opened up for her and then asked her if she needed help getting to her car. Even as she left the store, an employee in the parking lot said he would take her cart for her. All of these experiences culminated in one thing: an extremely satisfied customer who will return to the store.
Under the leadership of Dan Saltzman, Dave’s Markets recognizes that good customer service isn’t enough these days. Instead, he and his team aim to go well above and beyond customer expectations.
The company is in the middle of a customer service initiative that has started at six stores and have the other eight stores on board by the end of the year. The company works through this initiative through mystery shops, store visit summaries and certifying all of its associates in the elements of customer service. The initiative encompasses four basic principles: the company’s customer service mission statement, the company’s customer service attitude, its going-the-extra-mile philosophy, and its commitment to service recovery.
The last part of the initiative, service recovery, can often mean the difference between someone coming back or not if they have a less-than-stellar experience. Employees are trained to first listen to the customer attentively and completely without interrupting and make eye contact. They then apologize to the customer and not place blame. Then they ask what they can do to make it right and do what the customer says. Then they thank them for bringing the situation to their attention. Finally, they correct the problem to prevent similar situations from happening again.
This approach keeps Dave’s Markets’ customers coming back.
How to reach: Dave’s Markets, (216) 763-3200 or www.davesmarkets.com
