Several weeks into my new assignment, I’m still uncovering leftover routines from my old day-to-day. One morning I was almost late because I had literally started driving toward my old office. At lunch hour, I’m the one getting lost on the one-block trek to McDonald’s.
I also found myself in need of a new dry cleaner. So on the way home from work one humid afternoon, I stopped at a new-to-me dry cleaner to drop off a heap of dirty clothes.
Less than half a mile from our house, Tip Top Cleaners is a small shop lined with big, dusty glass windows that face the evening sun. There’s no AC, just a small desk and stool where the attendant sits.
I’d like to think that I’m generally a pleasant person, but at this moment, I was tired, sweaty and totally disengaged. I was expecting exactly the same from the attendant who took my name, my contact information and my heap of clothes. Then, with a smile, she gave me a receipt.
A simple – but real – smile. So unexpected.
Barring some huge dry cleaning mishap, I’ll soon be a regular at that shop. I left that day feeling better than when I walked in.
So what’s the moral?
User experience might be an emerging field. But its predecessor, customer service, is anything but. And the basics of customer service are essential to a good digital experience.
A website isn’t human. But can it leave a customer with a lighter heart? It might be a challenge, but it’s definitely one that’s worth facing.
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