Should the UK be taking customer service tips from the US?

It is a renowned fact that the United State of America know what they’re doing when it comes to customer service; they are famous for the McDonald’s saying ‘would you like fries with that?’. Offering the customer an extra product or service to enhance their experience is the best way to ensure the company deliver the best service possible, and to keep the customers coming back.

So, if we in the UK are so dissatisfied with the service we receive should we be taking tips from our friends on the other side of the Atlantic? Or does it rub against the British grain of personal space? You walk into a shop in America and you will be greeted, not just with a regular run of the mill ‘hello’ but with the start of a conversation; ‘Hello, how are you today?’ and believe me, they want an answer. This changes the whole shopping experience, the server is there to assist you in any way that they can and they’re eager to as well, it’s not just a generic act that forms part of their job description.

This attitude works for the company because the customer is more inclined to spend more but indeed spend in the first place. It also means the customer leaves with a greater sense of satisfaction. It sounds far-fetched perhaps but this is largely down to basic psychology; human interaction is stimulating and pleasurable and therefore we thrive on it, being able to communicate with another person and discuss our purchases is one of the reasons people shop in groups – so if you can get that service without having to take a friend with you, that’s good customer service right? So, the UK have a very different attitude towards shopping. You hear the phrase ‘I don’t want a pushy salesperson trying to make conversation with me’ and see a succinct example of why the American form of customer service wouldn’t work. The two cultures are so similar and yet so different when it comes to privacy, the UK want to be able to pick and choose when they receive customer service and when they don’t but when they do want it, it has to be good.

It’s an interesting debate and probably much more revealing to each cultures most basic traits than either would like to admit but for the time being it’s best to conclude that there is little that can be done for the UK’s dissatisfaction until, much like a petulant five year old, they decide that they want to receive a different level of service.

For more details on anything relating to customer services, including the contact details for all the major companies, visit www.customerservicescontact.co.uk.