During a recent holiday in France, Suzy Morrison from Clarkston stood in a cafe for 10 minutes while her order of three baguettes and six croissants was tied into an elegant package, complete with a bow on top.
“I had two hungry children and a husband back at the campsite and I just wanted to shout out: ‘Put them in a bag!’
“But those croissants turned out to be the best we’d ever tasted and I think half the reason was they looked so beautiful in their wrapping.”
So there it is. You can give the customer what they think they want. . . or you can give them that bit extra and have them come back.
If you work in customer service, and there are around 170 opportunities every day on s1jobs to do just that, you’ll know this is a wide field.
It covers everything from the retail environment to the helplines for complex electronic systems, but much of it involves packaging in some shape or form.
Packaging is a powerful tool because it lets customers know why your product and brand are different.
Apple, for example, is known for its minimalist packaging, while the fragrance industry invests millions in fancy bottle and box designs.
“During a year out for university I worked for a posh perfume brand, and every package had to be gift wrapped in paper and ribbon, without sticky tape.
“It took a bit of work to master, but it was one of things that kept our regular customers coming back,” says Lucy Hunter from Edinburgh.
Making the package a fun part of the customer experience means a company’s customer service has an added impact.
But packaging isn’t just a plus for retail customers, it can boost a career.
James Tait works in customer service for a white goods delivery company and solving a packaging problem has been a big part of his career progression.
“We were getting lots of calls from customers happy with their new fridges and washing machine but struggling to deal with the boxes they came in.
“I pulled together lots of these calls and came up with an idea for a recycling scheme, which I took to my boss.
“He was impressed. I got a bonus and our customer satisfaction rating has soared.”
Yes, in Customer Service it really does pay to think outside the box!
Discover the best Customer Service roles wrapped and ready to go on s1jobs