Who knew that an ordinary trip to the grocery store for kitchen essentials (avocados & ice cream – we aren’t the only ones, right?) could turn into a life lesson moment? Maybe we need to make solo runs to the grocery store for inspiration more often! Usually, our trips consist of pulling into the parking spot, opening up our trunk, and watching them load our pre-ordered online grocery list. But this time Jon did it ‘old school’ and actually went in the store. And he left with more than just the groceries.
The Deli Counter
So there Jon was getting our two pantry staples and a list of 20 more things Erica text him once he left! The grocery store near our house has this super handy kiosk at the deli counter, so he decided to give it a try. The whole idea is you enter your deli order, leave to shop for the rest of your items, and return to pick up your order before you checkout. It’s about time savings and convenience. So Jon entered the order and booked it around the store, returning with a cart full a few minutes later.
Now if you know Jon, you know he tends to move quickly. Erica routinely tells him to stop ‘running’ when they are walking through a store. And his quick moving is amplified times 100 in stores he hates shopping in: grocery stores and Costco.
So Jon walked (ran) up to the counter expecting to pick up his order. Instead he was greeted by a well intentioned, slow moving individual who asks what he’d like to order. It was a conversation with the likes of Flash the Sloth from Zootopia.
Ha……..
Ha……..
Ha……..
The order Jon entered in the kiosk was still sitting on the printer. It had never been touched. The order was never filled. After watching what felt like each individual fiber of muscle tissue in the turkey breast be cut individually, he was on his way to the checkout line.
15 Items or Less Express
AHHHH….relief!! The express lane! 15 items or less? Yep! 14 to be exact! One problem: this lane was anything but express. Flash’s cousin was working this counter.
Beep……
Beep……
Beep…….
It was painful. And not just because Jon can sometimes be impatient. It was painful because it seemed like no one cared. Both interactions screamed mediocrity. They gave a clear impression of lack of concern for a great customer experience.
Moving With A Purpose
Luckily for our local grocery store, they are a stone’s throw away from our house. So of course we will be back! But it made us think about what impression we are leaving people with.
Here’s the deal, we all have bad days, and for all we know both of the guys at the grocery store could have cared deeply for their jobs and strived daily to provide the best experience. But that wasn’t the point. The point is that what they put off left customers feeling something different.
It made us reflect on our interactions with our clients.
Do they see the deep passion we have to make their experience the absolute best it can be?
Do they feel like royalty in front of our cameras?
Do they feel encouraged, reaffirmed and inspired when they are with us?
Do they sense that we are moving with a purpose?
Yes, we left with our custom deli order and the other miscellaneous groceries that Jon went in for, but we also left with a bad experience. As business owners, it challenged us to ensure that we can always answer ‘yes’ to those questions and to make sure that we are moving with a purpose to serve our clients.
We already had one little problem though. On the way home from the grocery store, Jon called and asked Erica to put together the rest of the sandwiches so that when he got home all they would have to do is add the meat and eat. Walking in the door he saw that Erica hadn’t even taken the bread out of the pantry. We clearly have some work to do!!
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