The little kindnesses

Our Hospitality Connections Program is open for registration. It offers free full-day training for local businesses seeking to push their customer service even higher. Thank you to the Government of Alberta for supporting this series.

Sherry MacEachern, of Joyful Roots Consulting, is leading these sessions. We asked her seven questions about the series, customer service, and how businesses benefit from a customer-oriented culture.

FMWB: We're excited to share this program in 2025, especially since we've got a local pro leading it. Would you share a few points on what drew you to this project?

Sherry: As a long time resident of Fort McMurray, the topic of customer service is one of great interest and concern to me, both as a consumer and a business owner. When customer service delivery is improved, we can support local business, promote economic growth and development, and reduce the need to travel outside our region for products and services that can be sourced locally.

As a business owner, I understand how challenging it is to start and succeed in business.  The staff you hire to interact with your customers have enormous influence over whether your business thrives or not.  I hope to instill a sense of pride in the hard-working customer service agents in our region about the importance of their work.

I also have a deep appreciation for human connection, and I believe it is an honor to serve others.   In the service industry, you have the power to make someone’s day better, every time you come to work, and I think that is a special gift.  It is something I take great pride in and I am honored to help others connect to that feeling of pride as well.

FMWB: Sometimes customer service makes an otherwise forgettable moment memorable. Have you witnessed this - and what made the difference for you?

Sherry: For me it’s the little kindnesses that make all the difference.  When a service agent remembers my name or follows up with me about a problem or complaint I’ve made before I have to follow up.  As I was evacuating from town during the 2016 wildfire, my insurance company called me to tell me they knew about the wildfire and that they would be there for me whenever I was ready to ask questions or make a claim.  That blew me away.  In a company with thousands of customers, it would be easy to feel like just another number.  But that was 8 years ago and I still remember feeling so cared for, and that I could trust this company had my back.

FMWB: We're a few weeks away from the first session on Customer Service Fundamentals (January 17). Can you give us a taste of one of the key messages from that training?

Sherry: One of the key messages is that without our customers, we do not have jobs, and we do not have a business.  I think it’s easy to get complacent when we have little competition, but that type of complacency is what drives new business to enter the market and scoop up our customers.  Creating a culture of care and appreciation for the people who patron our business is paramount to longevity.  And it also feels fantastic to have the chance to brighten someone’s day every time you go to work!

FMWB: Online shopping can mean that customers have an entire world's worth of choice at their fingertips. What advice do you have for businesses who may be frustrated with customer expectations they can't meet?

Sherry: It’s true that more and more people are shopping online these days.  But many people still love to shop in person, be able to touch a physical product, and interact with other human beings.  With more and more technology comes less and less human interaction and humans cannot thrive in isolation.  Use this challenge to think outside the box to see what you can provide to your customers that a website never can!

FMWB: We often think of customer service as focused on retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses. How much of an impact can customer service training have on broader industries?

Sherry: The further away we get from a financial transaction, the easier it is to forget who our customers actually are.  Quality of service delivery should be a measure of success for any organization that interfaces with people.  This could include a doctor’s office, government agency, educational institute, plumbing company, emergency responders, etc.  The people delivering these services are the face of the organization and dramatically impact the reputation.  It is incredibly risky to have the face of your organization inadequately trained or motivated to handle your customers/clients/stakeholders.

FMWB: Sometimes hiccups happen, and you end up providing a poor customer experience. What would be three steps you'd suggest in the moments after an incident to try to get things back on track?

Sherry: Indeed, we are all human.  We all have bad days, make mistakes, or have processes break down from time to time.  The 3 most important things to do in these situations are:

• Admit something went wrong (never deny, make excuses, or put the blame on others).
• Apologize for the blunder or inconvenience.
• Work to come up with a solution or rectify the problem for the customer.

FMWB: Why do you think customer service training is important in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo?

Sherry: We have some unique challenges in FMWB including staff retention due to a transient population, and the remote location of our region is a barrier to entry for businesses which limits competition.  Limited competition and high staff turnover can result in lower levels of service.

When customer service levels are low, many of our residents are more inclined to spend their money outside of our region.  When this happens local businesses suffer, making it harder to stay in business, which makes customers suffer because it’s nice to be able to shop locally.  So there is a vicious circle.  I truly believe that we all win in Fort McMurray when customer service improves.