The Surprising Secret to Breakthrough Customer Service

Are your employees product experts? Or do they shrug their shoulders and say, “I just work here?”

Imagine an organization where even the cashiers are wine experts, and employees get significant input into their schedule, to suit their respective needs (school, full time careers, family etc.)

At Everything Wine, in Vancouver, Canada, even the cashiers are wine experts, and other parts of their lives are taken into consideration when developing their schedules. Is this any way to run a company, and be successful? It is, according to Paul Clinton, the founder and CEO of Everything Wine, in Vancouver, B.C.

Three years ago, after retiring as President of Diageo, Paul purchased two small retail wine stores, and turned them two into wine super stores. He’s now planning on opening a third store at the end of July.

Superstores are nothing new. We have Costco, Wal-Mart, and BevMo. Wine tasting is nothing new either in wineries and upscale retail wine establishments. But when have you been in a superstore where you could not only taste the wine, but also take a class on wine in the store? When have you been in a superstore where every employee not only knew the location of every product, but also was able to ask you the right questions and help you determine exactly which product was right for you?

“We are passionate about providing outstanding selection, service, and value to our customers.” Paul told me. “Every employee goes through wine education. We want our employees to have a good time, and look forward to coming to work, and we want our customers to have a good time, and enjoy doing business with us.”

Like other dynamic leaders Paul Clinton knows that breakthrough service is only possible by developing breakthrough relationships with employees.

Paul said, “The more knowledgeable employees become about our wines, the more opportunities they have to grow in the organization.

I often speak and write about the fact that in today’s world economy, employees need to feel that they are part of a community for how ever many hours they are at work, and that customers like to feel a sense of community and that they are receiving differentiated service where they do business.

In order for employees to be fully engaged and successful, they need to be able to use their talents and skills at work, and customers need to know that they are appreciated and welcomed as individuals.

This is how employers retain their best employees and how customers not only stay loyal but also become evangelical about your business.

This appears to be working well at Everything Wine because business is growing. “We have husbands and wives, and sons and daughters that work here together, says Clinton and we take pride in spreading the positive vibes.”

I always feel uplifted when I speak with leaders like Paul Clinton who demonstrate their appreciation for employees, as well as customers. They develop and implement policies, procedures and actions that include people at all level, so employees love to be there, and customers love to come back.