FOR FUN AND FOR FREE MAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE A BUSINESS DIFFERENTIATOR BY MARC P EMMONS
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ack in 2022, I embarked on the journey of establishing Olympic Wilderness Basecamp, an off-grid luxury camping experience. Early on, I wrestled with the task of distinguishing our venture from similar businesses. I compiled a list of what I believed set us apart: 1. Our distinctive geodesic dome accommodations. 2. Our prime location, just 15 minutes away from the Olympic National Park, nestled against the Olympic National Forest.
3. The thoughtful layout of our accommodations, designed to ensure privacy and seclusion for our guests. What curiously didn’t make it onto that list? Customer service. It was something I had taken for granted – a fundamental aspect of our operation. Fast forward two years, and I’ve come to realize that it’s one of our most significant differentiators. In a service-oriented business, you might wonder how customer service can be a differentiator when it’s at the core of what we do
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every day. Well, it’s because the quality of service we provide can vary immensely. A few days ago, I stopped at a local gas station. I went inside to pay for fuel and pick up a few extra items. There were three registers and two employees behind the counter. The available cashier motioned for the next customer, and I approached. He rang up my items, I inserted my card into the reader, and then an awkward silence descended, lasting about 45 seconds. Puzzled, I eventually looked down and realized I might have placed my card in the wrong slot. I asked him, he slowly nodded, and I tried the adjacent reader.
