Now That's Customer Service

One of the first questions asked me when I returned to Omaha after living for four years in Washington, D.C. was “What do you like most about being back?”
Invariably, I’d answer “grocery shopping.” I’d say it to be funny (I’m always so clever), but it is also true.
Grocery shopping, which is not my favorite pastime, is almost bearable in the heartland.
In the nation’s capital – even in the suburbs – it isn’t because employees don’t carry your groceries to your car. You either do it yourself or push your cart into a line, take a number, and then drive your car up so an attendant can load the groceries.
That is not a bad system, it just isn’t as quick and convenient as having someone accompany your loaded cart to the car. That is service.
I like the service. Not bowing and scraping service or room service in a swank hotel – although that is nice to dream about – but genuine, honest service that says, “I like having your business and I want to satisfy you.”
The kind of service that makes it a little easier to lower the balance in the checkbook or raise the balance on the credit card.
I shop at Baker’s Grocery store at 84th and Frederick Square where I get that kind of treatment. I like it, appreciate it and keep going back for it.
I don’t just get groceries there. I also cash checks, sometimes eat lunch in the restaurant, buy postage stamps, and drop off film to be developed.
A recent episode involving the processing of photo reprints is what inspired this column. Don’t you think if someone does something extra he should be acknowledged?
One of the grocery managers, whose name is Bob Trant, really helped me out. It didn’t involve a life-or-death issue, but one that was important to me.
I was having a large number of 35mm pictures reprinted for my Christmas card. I called around town to check prices and determined that Baker’s offered the best special, but the price didn’t take effect for a few days.
I talked to Bob and he assured me that I could have the special price. He alerted the employees at the courtesy desk to write up my order when I brought in the negatives.
So we were all set. Except over the weekend I realized I miscounted and really needed many more than I already ordered.
I called Baker’s and they called the photo processing people who said it was too late to add on to the order. I’d have to reorder the extras.
But the photo processor had my negative, and by the time the first batch was completed, time would be running out for my pre-Christmas mailing if we had to wait for the reorder to be completed.
This is when Bob got into the act.
He called back and forth between the processing plant and me, he talked to me about the progress when I was in the store which is all the time, and finally we figured out a solution. The processor, I should add, was trying very hard to help us out at the busiest time of year.
I began to feel that getting my picture reprinted was Bob’s full time job. Except I knew better, because every time I saw him he was busy handling many other things.
Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out as we planned.
The day the reprints came in one of the young women at the customer service desk immediately called me so I could come to the store to get them and remake the order for the additional number. When I arrived I discovered that the wrong negative had been reprinted and reprinted and reprinted 500 times (we have lots of relatives).
Bob came through once again. It was 4:50 p.m. He left the meeting he was attending to come to the front desk. He called the photo processing plant, explained what had happened. And then because the plant closed at 5 p.m. he hand delivered my negative. He said the plant was on his way home – sort of.
Anyway, to sum up a long story the whole order was completed at 1 p.m. the next day.
When I thanked Bob for all the extra effort he and the staff at Baker’s made for me he said simply, “I’m glad we could get it done for you. That’s why we are here.”
I like that attitude.
January 6, 1988