It’s really not hard to provide exceptional service, even though it may seem like it on occasion.  Let me tell you about a simple experience that exemplifies nearly every principle of My Service First.

Before I do though, let me set this up.  It’s the kind of experience to keep in mind – you don’t know what brings a customer to you, but you want to capitalize on that opportunity to make that experience a great one.

Now I am not the tallest or biggest person you’ll ever meet. I’ve actually been quite skinny my entire life. So when my wife started going to the gym to lose weight, she challenged me to go to the gym and bulk up. I accepted, and even took on a few sessions with a personal trainer who gave me tips about weight training routines to increase muscle size.

But, it is much harder than it looks.

Time is the investment you need to make to see consistent and overall progress. I have developed a regular routine for getting to the gym and am usually there for an hour to an hour and a half constantly working on selected muscle groups to gain muscle mass. My trainer recommending drinking 1 to 2 protein shakes a day. I could have one 30 minutes before a workout and another 30 minutes after, which helps with water retention in muscles and muscle recovery – good to know right?

I have been curious for some time about all of the products I see on the wall as I walk out of the gym. Usually in the gym, or at least at mine, there is no one available or knowledgeable enough to ask about what products like BCAA Powder, C4, Explode or Serious Mass could potentially do for someone like me, or if they’re even products I should consider. Then I realized on the way home that I live right next to a Vitamin Shoppe.  What better place to seek answers than from the people there?! So I went.

Here’s what I was looking for before I went inside:

1. I’m up early so I get the workout done earlier in the day but I need that little boost of energy without crashing mid-day.
2. I felt like my energy levels run out fast while working out so I was looking for more endurance.
3. I don’t want to become one of the guys at muscle beach, so I want to stay toned as weight lifting increases.
4. And lastly I would love to gain cardio endurance by running, because sometimes 15 minutes on the treadmill seems like it will kill me.

Here’s the great My Service First experience I had:

I was greeted upon entry by 2 of the 3 working employees, which made me feel very welcome (principle #2 – Acknowledge your customer). Lucky for me, the pre-workout and post workout supplements are right in the front, so I didn’t need to go any further into the store.

One of the lady’s who greeted me immediately came over to see if I needed assistance (principle #9 – Make sure the experience is easy).

I had only been in the store for a minute and noticed they had far more products to look at than what the gym offered, so I needed a few minutes to browse and kindly let her know. After a few more minutes one of the guys who greeted me came over to ask if I had any questions. By then I had 2 products I was interested in, and gave him my list to see if these were good choices or if I had overlooked another product.

He quickly broke down my list of needs and compared them to the two products I was currently looking at – noting that one he thought fulfilled those needs completely and the other could potentially cause the dreaded afternoon crash. He could have stopped there and taken me to the register to check out, but (principle #7 – Go the Extra Mile), he wanted to show me a product that he currently uses and has enjoyed the results even adding that the flavor is quite good compared to most of the products.

By being friendly to me as a customer, acknowledging me when I came into the store (along with the offer to help), and then a follow-up offer, I felt more comfortable talking to the employees and asking questions and was even willing to sign up for their rewards program. By listening to my needs (principle #4 – Listen to what your customer says) they were better equipped to recommend products and help me make the right purchase, and they thanked me for my business. They made it easy to do business with them!

Since then, I have been back 3 times for various inquiries on products and have received quality customer service each time.

The experience illustrates that My Service First attitude, with nearly every principle in action, can be easy to do and improves your business.