MARKETING

Customer Communication Today

By Glenn Hansen hen I’ m getting started on a story, I’ ll search the idea online, looking for info and maybe some data. And when I searched“ customer service trends for retailers and service providers,” I got a whole lot of information about“ customer experience” or CX. That’ s web speak, of course, for digital customer interaction. I was not looking for that. Sure, it is important, but you interact with people IRL too, right? You know, In Real Life. So I looked for examples of the best customer service IRL and I spoke with dealers and landscape professionals to learn more. Turns out, for customer relations today, in-person and digital go together like texting and teenagers.

How do businesspeople do this well? What’ s the best way to communicate with customers to ensure their satisfaction and also get your work done? I’ ll break this into two groups: OPE Dealers and Pro Service Providers.

Power Equipment Dealers

I visited a local bike shop recently to buy a part I had already researched online. I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew the store had it and where to find it. So you would think I’ d be fine with no“ Hello” or other interaction from the store clerk. Nope. The silent treatment continued as I looked around for 15 minutes and all the way to the checkout counter. I was acknowledged briefly. I paid and left. The two employees weren’ t busy; I was the only customer. And when I gifted them a 1-star review on Google, a chatbot responded. I will not shop there again.

“ We try to greet everyone who comes in,” said Greg Paul, of Paul’ s Lawn and Garden in Massillon, Ohio. He admits it’ s not easy with a small staff.“ Sometimes my brother is tied up at the parts counter, my daughter is also helping someone, and I may be on the phone. So when a customer is out on the floor, one of us will try to say,‘ We’ ll be there in just a minute.’ We want to let them know we care.”

20 OPE + May 2025 www. OPE-Plus. com