Customer service challenge launched again

Want to gauge the level of customer service your business is providing? Or to figure out how and where you can make any improvements in that area?
For a third year, the Rainy River Future Development Corp. is looking for participants for its customer service challenge—and those businesses interested can sign up now.
RRFDC office manager Cynde Milette explained the process to get involved.
“Business will sign themselves up, and then we will have a very confidential, independent little committee that ‘mystery shops’ them,” she noted.
“Everybody gets shopped three different times by three different people.”
These shoppers rate the businesses’ customer service using standardized forms which are revised each year, added Milette.
“Then we get those back and pick the top 10 from across the district, probably with some honourable mentions,” she said.
“Hopefully, we get some new businesses in there.”
Milette said the mystery shopping will take place in March and April, with the winners to be named in May—possibly during a Chamber of Commerce mix-and-mingle as they were last year.
She mentioned all participants—regardless of how they do—eventually will get access to their performance evaluations so they can find out where their strengths and weaknesses lie when it comes to serving customers.
This challenge is free to all businesses in Rainy River District, no matter how big or small, noted Milette.
The deadline to enter the challenge is March 10. Once signed up, participants will receive an information package further detailing the program.
To sign up, contact the RRFDC at 274-3276.
A total of 74 businesses from across the district participated in the program last year, but only the top 10 were given plaques for their customer service performance.
In 2005, these “Customer Service Champions” were (in alphabetical order) Cloverleaf Shop Easy, Energy Motivation Fitness Centre, Fort Frances Chiropractic Centre, Gagné Pharmacy, Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Northwoods Gallery & Gifts, Peterson’s Food Town, Pharmasave, Sears/Rainy River Duty-Free, and The Great Bear.
Honourable mentions went to The Corner Closet, Dairy Queen, Edward Jones, Fort Frances General Supply, Holmlund Financial, La Place Rendez-Vous, Norlund Oil, Super 8 Motel, Tim Hortons, and Tompkins Hardware.
Eighteen of the 74 participating businesses were from the west end of the district.