Small Town Customer Service 2.0

  Many folks equate small town customer service with friendly and warm interaction in a local business.  In fact, some consultants even admonish all businesses, no matter how large or urban, to adopt “small town rules” as a strategy to increase profitability.  This was Barry Moltz’s conclusion from his book Small Town Rules.  
  Cyndi Hartwell also gives some handy tips for small town customer service like:
• Being available
• Getting to know your customer
• Always following through and exceeding expectations
• Treating customers like family.
  There are problems, however, with customer service in rural America.  I live in a small town and work with businesses in small communities.  I often hear complaints about customer service.  Moltz’s co-author, Becky McCray even listed it as the number 2 most common weakness of the local shop.  The take-away here is that rural communities should be investing in customer service training for their service personnel.
  While providing excellent customer service is very important and must be emphasized, I would like to see the discussion move beyond this.
  McGranahan, in his article on rural growth, connects the benefits of rural living with attracting creative and entrepreneurial individuals into the community.  In this context, rural customer service needs to add community marketing to its normal duties.  In other words, not only does the store clerk attend to the customer’s needs in finding the product they seek and making the customer feel welcome, but the clerk also inquires:
• Are you new in town?
• Did you know there is a great biking/hiking trail over the river?
• Have you tried some of Miss Bell’s sweat tea?
• Are you going to stay around for the weekend wool festival?
• The Bed and Breakfast on 3rd street is a nice place to stay.
• Have you visited the Civil War battlefield?
  Some of this conversation is local B2B referral that increases the amount of money that is spent in the community and the other part is aimed at endearing the visitor/new resident to the community and its rural/natural amenities.  This ‘conversational’ marketing of the local businesses and the local community should be a part of every rural customer service training as we strive to grow our communities.