The other day I walked into CVS to purchase a couple items I couldn’t find at the grocery store and I was a little surprised that no employees were present. I walked in, grabbed what I needed, and used the self-checkout kiosk. As I was exiting I had the thought, “I guess we’re on the honor system now.”
When it comes to other recent developments I recently looked at Kohl’s stock because they are offering such a high dividend. I found out it is because they want to change directions a bit. As we have seen mid-level businesses, like Macy’s, have struggled in recent years. Kohl’s is at that same level. Their solution is to return the customer experience to in person shopping. It is a simple solution. The re-introduction of floor staff would accomplish it.
Now when it comes to Stable Hands how does any of this apply? I look around at the state of businesses becoming more and more automated and removing more and more of the customer experience. I got new shoes and the first ones I purchased didn’t work. There was no guide through the sales process so in my infinite wisdom I didn’t try on the shoes before taking them home. I eventually ended up with what I needed but floor staff would have made it so much easier.
I always tell people I am a phone call away, and for the most part I am. I have had to train myself to not answer the phone. I have hoped out of the shower to onboard new clients because the phone rang. We live in an increasingly disconnected world where human to human contact has been reduced, and while automation is helpful it also removes a lot of the experience.
Our goal has always been to create a customer focused experience. We send messages after every visits with pictures of your pet and a report on what they did during their pet sitting or dog walking visit. We want our clients to contact us with questions and to be involved in the care plan for their pet. Some pet sitting companies discourage direct contact between clients and their assigned staff. We setup a system for it.
One of my main rules for business is to treat every customer as if they are a repeat customer. We want to foster a relationship between ourselves, our staff, and our clients and their pets. There is no great connection than the one between a person and their pets and we thank all the clients that have invited us to be a part of that relationship and look forward to being the partner in pet care to anyone who has not.