On Saturday I felt forced to use a particular local, independent shop. This was an emergency, time was running out to find a specific item, and I knew this shop would have it. I felt “forced” because I have not used this shop for over a year.

I, like Mary Portas, believe we let shops get away with poor service because we continue to shop despite being treated badly. So about 18 months ago, fed up of continued, frankly appalling service from this shop, I withdrew my custom.

Not only was the customer not central to their business, but the customer in fact seemed to be an imposition on their time. The shop was littered with negative signage asking people not to touch this, bend that, eat in the shop…whilst the assistants gathered at the till point, steaming mugs of tea in hand, riffling through an assortment of biscuits and not washing or wiping their hands before heading back to re-arrange merchandise.

If you were to take a pushchair into the shop or were to try to get around it in a wheel chair – you needed to be prepared for some huffing and puffing from the staff, who themselves would not move a millimetre to let you get closer to a display of stock they are changing.

On several visits I found the staff to be animatedly discussing their customers in a rather disparaging manner – commenting about their clothing size or the customers’ minor misdemeanours. On the last occasion I had shopped there, I stood at the till point as the assistant hissed to her colleague in a theatrical stage whisper “That’s her! That’s the customer I told you about!” gesturing towards a lady who had just entered.  (Phew! For a moment I thought it was me!)

So I was quite interested, having decided this was an emergency, to see if, since voting with my feet, any improvements had been made. Disappointingly for me (they do have lovely product) the service was in fact worse. The staff of student age were not only providing a shocking level of service, completely ignoring those customers in the shop, they were also plain rude.

I do however know the root of this outrageous state of affairs. It comes from the top down. I have come across the owners of the business several times, within the shop itself. Each time I have encountered them I can see exactly where the customer is on their list – the very bottom.

I was reminded of a piece of work I once completed for another retailer.

The management of this store were horrified at the service their team was delivering to the customer.  Mystery shop results were excruciating and they needed help to turn the results around. The same managers however would complete their morning walk rounds with their teams consumed with their own business, ignoring their customers around them. They would walk quickly from one part of the shop to another either with eyes fixed on the horizon or on the floor giving a clear message that they were not to be disturbed. Staff, as you know, will follow their boss’ lead. What is important to their boss becomes important to them (sometimes if only to keep their boss off their back!) And if the boss ignores it, so do they.

As for my local business, I would say it is successful. It is long established, has great product and is always busy. The tills are ringing with success. But the real question the owners should ask is just how successful this business could be if they were to engage with their customers and delivered the exceptional service that we are crying out for.

So will I shop at this local independent again? As the saying goes, treat me like it once shame on you, treat me like it twice shame on me. It will need more feet than mine to change the direction of that company, but mine are a start!

Customer Service should always be a priority for retailers. Putting the customer first should be a prerequisite of any retail business and many retailers openly declare that they do. Many offer an array of additional services designed to, in some way, enhance their customers’ lives.

 Companies spend millions on designing and delivering customer service programmes to improve upon their service. Courses for example designed to help with the approach, to engage with the customer or how to spot opportunities to truly delight the customer when they arise.

 Having spent a week focussed on writing and delivering several customer service projects and having spent a few hours sampling bank holiday service in the shops, I wanted to share the thought I have both written and talked about this week. A thought that I wished, as I trailed around the shops, more would listen to!

 Customer Service in its simplest form underpins the entire retail operation. Customer Service is not an “add on”; it is however part of the day to day fundamentals of running a store. The customer should be put at the centre of every decision. Despite volumes of books and articles being written on the subject, what this actually means does seem to pass many operators by.

 Not being ready for opening is not putting the customer first. Having empty shelves in a supermarket early on Saturday morning is not putting the customer first. Completing major layout moves during peak trading times is not putting the customer first.

 However well you are training the team in service, however many customer service desks you provide, if the fundamentals aren’t in place you are just simply not providing the customer with the service they expect.

So let’s get back to basics. Let’s reconsider the entire retail operation and ensure that at each stage of the customer’s journey they really are at the heart of that operation. Those that do this will always come out on top.