When I think about the companies I am most loyal to (USAA, Nordstrom, Zappos, Whole Foods), I find that across the board they have won me over with exceptional customer service - ya know, the kind that was so good you have to tell someone about it. On two separate occasions this past week, I had incredible customer service at Whole Foods that I thought was worth sharing.
Example 1:
I was searching for a bottle of Tahini dressing, but couldn’t find the brand I was familiar with. A gentleman named Wilson walked up to me (noticing I looked perplexed) and asked if he could help. I told him I couldn’t find the dressing I was looking for, but grabbed a bottle that looked good and mentioned that I would try something different. Wilson replied, “Since we don’t have what you want and you’re trying something new, how about this one is on me? That way if you don’t like it, there was nothing lost.”
He slapped the Whole Foods sample label over the barcode (so the cashier knows not to make me pay for it) and said, “Once you’ve tried it, come back and let me know how you like it. That way if it’s great I can be sure to share with others.” It was a little thing, but it absolutely made my day. I ended up loving the dressing and the next time I was in the store I thanked Wilson and let him know.
Example 2:
Rob and I made a quick trip into Whole Foods to grab lunch and a few essentials. We were in between meetings and we were in a hurray to get in and out. We grabbed the shortest line (most were several people deep) and things were moving until the customer in front of us decided to pay with a check. She needed her drivers license to use the check, which was out in the car (of course…). We contemplated jumping into a different line, but they were all really long. So we stayed put hoping the lady would make it back quickly.
After about 4 minutes passed, we started getting really annoyed and antsy (remember we were in a hurray) and I could tell this was setting us up to be in a sour mood. Daniella, our cashier, must have noticed our antsyness or just felt bad and said, “Hey can I buy you a chocolate bar?” “Sorry you’ve had to wait so long”. Immediately Rob and I perked up, as she was pointing to the selection of Chocolove chocolate bars at the checkout (little did she know we both have a serious sweet tooth). We were so thrilled about the free chocolate bar (that only cost Whole Foods $2.50) that we completely forgot we had waited 8 minutes for the check lady to fetch her drivers license from the car.
In both instances I hadn’t outwardly expressed being upset with Whole Foods - but both Wilson and Daniella were keen to sense I was unsatisfied and went way beyond my expectations and provided absolutely outstanding customer service.
Rob, Nik and myself whole-heartedly believe that exceptional customer service is at the core of great companies. We look to Whole Foods and the other incredible companies I mentioned, as models for the customer service we’ll provide at Foodzie.