Customer Service Tips

Most positions are customer service positions. That is, most jobs require you to serve others and so even if you haven’t worked in retail, restaurant, or hospitality before, the basics are important to learn.

In my business, Choco le`a, we train for our front of the house using a simple acronym, HUG!

We “HUG!” everyone who comes into our chocolate store. It is something I created years ago to help everyone remember what we should be doing as it aligns with our mission of “Bringing peace to our world, one chocolate at a time.” I’ve worked in restaurant, retail, and in an office providing customer service for years before opening the chocolate shop I’ve had for the past 11 years. So one thing I had to learn along the way, was customer service.

This simple word helps us to remember what we must do when someone comes into our store. It’s a sweet way to remember how we should treat each person and you can use this to help you too!

H stands for “Hi” and that simply means to say “hi” to everyone who comes in, as soon as they come in. Make eye contact, smile, and acknowledge them even if you are busy. It communicates to them that you noticed them and they are important.

U stands for “Understand.” First, find out what the person is looking for. Listen and ask and understand why they came in or what they came for so you know how to best serve them. Rather than speaking first, listen first so you can customize the conversation to their needs.

G stands for “Give.” Give the person what they are looking for whether an answer to a question, some quick service in grabbing a preorder, or time to slowly browse and think. Give each person what they need.

! is the exclamation mark that stands for “Exceed their expectations!” This means going above and beyond to make their day a little sweeter with a sample, a genuine compliment, a reminder, or an opportunity that they may not be aware of.

Hi

Understand

Give

! 

It’s amazing what one “HUG!” per person can do to bring a little peace to our world. Give it a try!

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him…” -Luke 15:20

**And you should feel like you get a “HUG!” every time you walk into Choco le`a. If not, please letus know. Customer service can be challenging on some days and we all need little reminders. ;)