Two-way street

A reputation for excellent customer service always has been the cornerstone to a successful business here in Rainy River District. But it is even more crucial today when local consumers have so many options on where to spend their money, such as “outshopping” thanks to our high-flying loonie compared to the U.S. dollar and the growing trend towards online shopping via the Internet.
For several years now, the Rainy River Future Development Corp. has offered a “customer service challenge” so district businesses can identify their strengths when it comes to how they serve their customers—and what areas need to be improved. The response has been good again this year, with more than two dozen businesses signing on, including new ones as well as those that have gone through the process before.
It’s great to see so many are taking customer service to heart, realizing full well that the good name of their business can be ruined by one dissatisfied person, particularly in a small town where word of mouth can spread so rapidly (and not always accurately).
But while the onus to provide excellent customer service clearly rests with the business, there is the other side of the coin, too. If customers are correct to expect a friendly greeting when they come through the door, informed answers to their queries about the merchandise, courteous attention and solutions to their complaints, and a genuine feeling that their patronage is both welcomed and valued, retail staff deserve the same treatment in return.
The customer is always right, as the mantra goes, but that’s no reason to be loud, obnoxious, or downright rude to those who serve you. It comes down, plain and simple, to the “golden rule”: if you wish to be treated with respect and in a friendly manner, act that way yourself.
Having a pleasant experience at a store, or in a restaurant, truly is a two-way street.