After thirty years running shops in Melbourne, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast I loved providing great customer service. When we closed our last shop in Byron Bay due to covid, I seriously wondered how I could take something I was so proud of and transfer it to an online shop.
For the first time ever, I started buying on the web and noticed no name plastic packages would arrive with no acknowledgment of my order, in ratty looking plastic sleeves, that had got dirty in the back of trucks. The excitement of getting a package was drastically reduced by the boring site of it. Then I purchased some makeup, it came beautifully boxed, tissue paper, a sticker and samples and voila the experience was one of delight and wonderment.
So the experience you have with us, is we hope a positive one and that the extra steps we take to make your experience personal and special is felt when you receive your delivery. Byron Bay is indeed a special place and we try to send some of that energy to you.
While we are on the subject of service and ensuring that you the customer is completely satisfied we have recently taken two overseas trips, we booked excitedly with our national carrier Qantas and Jetstar, anxious to support them after covid. Unfortunately any sense of service has been lost over the last two years. They serve you food and a drink and that is really it. The staff make no effort to engage, go above or beyond or show any pride in what they do. Asking for an extra cup of tea on a long haul flight was met with an exasperated sigh. They hide behind that curtain down the back, nary to be seen.
There was literally no service to be found and in its place grumpy, overworked staff, overdue for retirement who can barely serve you. In this two year hiatus the bean counters of Qantas have been hard at work, finding any way to claw back the money that has been lost. Forget about a pair of socks – gone, a warm towel – gone, the smallest toothbrush and toothpaste you’ve ever seen – gone, a salad with your meal – gone, a bread roll and butter gone, an offer of a second drink – gone. I think the biggest insult during the flight was when I was handed a hard as a rock Chocolate paddle pop – yep that’s dessert on Qantas these days.
Heaven help our national airline. With four delays on our flights totalling over 30 hrs, there was an SMS to advise us, but not even ground staff knew what was going on, could advise us of connecting flights or help elderly passengers having terrible difficulties with the new online DPD. It was an absolute schemozzle and frustrated parents with crying children, seniors overwhelmed by the situation and even the disabled were given no help.
So that leaves us with the question when service isn’t good enough what do you do? If your choice is simply price you may accept poorer service, Aldi has taught us that. For many young people, service is of no interest to them, the less physical interaction the better. Have a look at how many people shop with their ear buds in these days. For me however, I love going to my local cafe, and being greeted by name and having my coffee brought to the table without even having to order. That is great service and that’s what keeps me going back. Thankyou Local Cafe at Main Beach. I really hope that when you purchase from us, you know we actually think about you and your order and when you unwrap it, you feel special. That is service not just being served.
