Why customer service matters

I popped into Cardiff city centre during lunch today, not something I often do, but decided to go to the deli (chorizo and morcilla if anyone cares) and Waterstones to have a look for a book on Ruby.

Talk about two very different experiences – which in a round-about way made me think about journalism and social media.

So shop 1: Wally’s Delicatessen in Cardiff’s Royal Arcade.

A family-run business which has been in Cardiff for nearly 60 years, a great place to go and get global foods, and the only place in Cardiff I know where you can buy morcilla (Spanish black pudding). I picked up my main purchase and then noticed one of those fancy tea ball that unfurls in the cup. A quick chat with a member of staff later, I walked off with two and some more recipes and ideas for my Spanish cookery.

Result: a warm fuzzy feeling, and confirmation that Wally’s is a place I like to go and part with my cash.

The second experience (and within a two-minute walk) was entirely the opposite.

I’d seen groups of young people hanging around outside Waterstones, coralled in so they couldn’t run amok. And when I went in the store I found out why.

N’Dubz were doing a book signing. After a little chuckle to myself about Dappy as seen from Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and an even bigger chuckle involving words like oxymoron, I went upstairs to check out the Ruby books with a view to buying.

Then I hit a moment straight out of Wayne’s World – Ruby, denied!

Yup, turns out that the signing was right where I wanted to be and the big bouncer type didn’t want me to go anywhere near the N’Dubz posse (what was I going to do register a rocker’s protest or pull down one of Dappy’s ear flaps for being a crime against fashion?).

And to be honest, that made me more than a little angry.

As a regular customer at Waterstones (I often pop in when I’m in town and buy a book – yes, I do shop online and know I can get loads of great free Ruby resources online too) I felt more than a little let down. Until fairly recently Cardiff types could choose between Waterstones and Borders, and then Borders went bust leaving us with only one large book seller in town (wonder if you can see where this is going in relation to journalism?)

So I went downstairs and let fly at a poor member of staff who looked to be policing the stairs. Poor sod, he tried to be helpful – “Tell me what book you want?”. Two problems there chief – one: I’ve been been essentially told by the guy upstairs that my custom is less important than a bunch of screaming N’Dubz fans who probably will not shop here regularly; and two – do you know what Ruby books you have?

Result and parting shot: I’ll just log on to Amazon then.

And it just made me think of how Wally’s were local, adaptive and interested in their customer while Waterstones were losing custom because someone at head office decided it was a good idea to bring in an event from out of town to generate some sales.

Anyone other than me thinking hyperlocal/social media vs big media?

There are lots of issues regarding brand loyalty and customer-service that all businesses, media included, are struggling to get to grips with. For example, if we put an event on we can generate custom and then try to turn that into returners. But what if that knocks onto your core market? How can we ensure that any disgruntled customers don’t run off and tell their friends? Or even worse, rant about it via social media to their networks (like I’ve just done).

But more crucially it makes me think of the lack of opportunity to join the community round some news businesses’ web site. Yes this is an old chestnut, and still an important one. I’m a member of plenty of online communities where I get respect, help and guidance towards product (be that news or something physical) which helps me make an informed decision about the choices available to me.

Want me to pay for stuff? Give me a good product I can’t easily get from anywhere else and make it a pleasant experience – probably why Johnston wound up its paywall experiment – and I’ll come back. Make me feel part of the community and I’m also more likely to pop in even when I had no intention of buying.

Registering to comment, paying for news – all things that put people off sites, unless they are core to what you need to do in your life.

When businesses are fighting for custom, seems pretty stupid to make their life difficult and virtually encourage them to go to someone else.

And Dappy, sort that hat out!