Beat The Slump With Customer Service

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May 7, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Fortune Small Business:

I recently ran across foodie entrepreneur, Paige Ohliger, who is thriving despite the downturn.

Her winning secret? Extreme customer service.

Ohliger is one of four founders of Time for Dinner, launched in 2004 in St. Louis, Mo. Her niche is the meal-assembly business – those stores you visit to prep ingredients for complete, pre-made dinners for the month ahead. While nationally franchised competitors closed up shop all around her, Ohliger kept her business profitable and recorded sales just shy of $1 million in 2007.

So what’s her secret recipe to maintaining sales while rivals struggle?

Get in tune with the community.
Ohliger encourages people to hold parties at her store with a do-gooder angle. Neighbors can come in and prepare meals as a group. If 10 people come together and each order a full set of meals (12 meals per person, each serving 4-6 people), Ohliger kicks in a free eleventh set. Groups often earmark that for a sick friend, or one who has just had a baby.

Show customers you care.
Ohliger’s deliberately high ratio of staff-to-customers helps keep the kitchen sparkling and ensures that customers can quickly get any needed assistance.

Use customer feedback to gain new customers.
Ohliger gets in sync with customers by being sensitive to the tough economy. Everyone wants their dollar to go farther, and she’s not shy about broadcasting the fact that people who use her service can save money. Feedback from current customers suggests they’re saving $100-$150 monthly by using the service; Ohliger plays up that statistic in her marketing.

Photo by SBTV.