My husband and I were in our favorite Lowes Home Improvement store the other day. One of the really neat things about Lowes is that you don’t have to go running all over the huge store to find someone to help you. 

Strategically placed around the store are little buttons you push which activates a loud speaker announcement that you need help. But there’s a catch. The store employee normally responds very quickly — in an attempt to meet some company metric I suspect. It seems that they must respond in a minute or so. But that doesn’t mean you will get the help you need.

Way too often the employee shows up and says, “I’m helping another customer and will be right with you.” Many times the follow up wait is about 10 minutes. Bleh. Kind of frustrating from a customer perspective. I don’t know about you, but I experience relief when I see that company jacketed rep come toward us and then disappointment when he leaves without being able to resolve our issue.

So what’s the right answer? It’s a balance between satisfying your business ability and goals and making the customer happy. Unhappy customers talk more than happy ones, so take a look at your customer service process and see who it is serving more — your company or your customer?

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

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More on this topic:

1. Small Business Security a Big Deal
2. Don’t Let Your Small Business Die Alone
3. Good Customer Service – Nope! Got It Wrong
4. What To Do When The Customer Says ‘I Want My Money Back’
5. The Best Way to Handle Customer Feedback