Duane Hicks
District businesses can now sign up for the Rainy River Future Development Corp.’s seventh-annual customer service challenge—a program that past participants have said is worthwhile.
“I think it’s good. It makes staff people think about every customer that comes through that door—they may be the person that’s testing their customer service skills,” noted Wanda Barker, general manager of Super 8 Motel here, which has been named among the top 10 customer service champions multiple times over the years.
“If you treat everyone who walks through the door that way, you’re going to be on the top of your game,” she reasoned.
In the motel business, customer service is the most important factor to being successful, Barker said.
“If we don’t keep our guests happy, they don’t come back,” she stressed. “We don’t have guests, we don’t have jobs.
“Just like any place else, if you don’t have customers, you don’t have jobs.”
Barker said participating in the challenge several times is a good way to keep tabs on one’s customer service—and make sure the business doesn’t become complacent.
“You can’t take it for granted you’re going to win,” she remarked. “You can’t, because you could totally flop the next year, thinking that you don’t need it.
“We’ve seen it, too, with comments,” she added. “Just stupid little things that [remind us] that we have to think about them all the time.”
Jason Lilley of Northridge Funeral Home in Emo, which also was named among the top 10 customer service champions last year, and has participated several times, agreed the program was worthwhile.
“It certainly gives you the insight as to what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong,” he reasoned. “You really don’t know who’s coming in, so it keeps you on your toes.
“There’s no doubt about that. I think it’s very beneficial, certainly for our type of business,” he added.
Lilley admitted the funeral home, by its nature, is a different kind of business. And because of that, they haven’t always gotten high marks in some categories that other businesses might.
But Northridge still feels the customer service challenge “betters their business.”
“Our staff is always pleased when we’re nominated,” Lilley said. “They know they’ve done a good job.”
RRFDC officer manager Cynde Milette said those businesses interested in signing up can call 274-3276.
The deadline to register is Friday, March 19.
Milette said the challenge, which is being co-ordinated by Wanda Botsford, will work much like it has in past years.
Any business within the RRFDC’s catchment area—from Mine Centre west to Rainy River, and north to Morson and Nestor Falls—can sign up for the free program.
It doesn’t matter the size of the business.
Businesses that have participated in the past can do so again so they can get up-to-date feedback as to how they are doing in terms of customer service.
A business has to register itself in order to participate.
Businesses that sign up by the March 19 deadline will be contacted, and then will be “mystery shopped” in April and May.
Each business is going to be shopped in three different ways, when possible—in person, by phone, and their website will be reviewed if they have one, Milette explained.
It also will be noted how “green” the business is, such as whether they offer/encourage the use of reusable bags, etc., although this will not be part of the scoring.
After the “mystery shopping” is complete, the RRFDC will tally up the results, review the comments, and then pick the top 10 from across the district, also noting honourable mentions.
The winners likely will be announced in late May during the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s annual “After Hours” deck party.
After the winners are announced, all the participants (regardless of how they do) will get access to their performance evaluations so they can find out where their strengths and weaknesses lie when it comes to serving customers.
Last year’s top 10 champions also included Cloverleaf Grocery (Emo), Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary, Fort Frances General Supply, Northern Community Development Services, Northern Lights Credit Union (Rainy River branch), Revco Carpet Centre, and Wood’s Quality Bakery (Rainy River).
Honourable mentions went to Celeste’s, Crozier Warehouse-Busy Bee Auto Glass, Northwoods Gallery & Gifts, Vianet Internet Solutions, and Warehouse One—The Jean Store.
About 30 district businesses signed up for the challenge last year, with organizers hoping to get at least that many this time around.
