That’s me, on the camera screen, trying to buy an item that’s kept in the security cage.  At first, the front desk associate was welcoming and helpful until broken processes took over.  It all started when the associate didn’t have the key to the security cage. She had to page the supervisor. No answer. I asked that she go look for the supervisor, which she did. Eventually she got the key to the cage and located the item. It had a security tag on it but unfortunately, she didn’t have the equipment to remove it.  She went to the cashiers looking for help but alas, no one there knew how to get the security tag off either. Her solution? Just take the item home with the security tag. Uh, no. It’s not that I minded the alarm going off as I left the store, I didn’t know if removing the tag was going to be difficult. She insisted that she couldn’t help. I asked her again to find someone who could.

By this time, frustration set in all around. My son, who was watching it all unfold, reached over and yanked the security tag off and set it on the desk.   The associate got annoyed and we left in a huff.

This was not a case of lack of service skills, it was clearly caused by a broken process.

Broken processes can undermine your customer experience causing your customers to leave your store shaking their head. And yes, they will tell their story to friends, family and their social media circle. Or if they are a Secret Shopper, post a blog.

Need help fixing your processes? Check out the Customer W.O.W.  Toolbox