Why Mr. Kinkos makes me smile

There is a FedEx Kinkos near my house that I’ve patronized a few times. The last two times I’ve visited the store I was helped be a very nice man.

One time, I was in a huge hurry and needed to make copies of a flyer that had to be resized and positioned two up on a page. Normally a job like this would take Kinkos a few hours. But since I was in a hurry this man stopped what he was doing and helped me in the self-serve area. He was very knowledgeable and very nice. I was so grateful for his help.

The last time I went in I just needed to make a few copies at the self-service copier. He greeted me warmly and commented it was a nice day for a bike ride (I had ridden my bike to the store). As I was making my copies I overheard him patiently helping a rushed and somewhat rude customer.

I think what adds to how impressive this man’s customer service skills are is the fact that he doesn’t seem like the typical low-wage worker. He’s probably in his late 40s, and he strikes me as someone who had a professional career. I could be completely wrong, but I wonder if perhaps he got caught in the bad economy and is just trying to make ends meet through a retail clerk job. If this is true, he shows no sign of bitterness. Just the opposite. He seems to genuinely love his job and helping people.

No matter his circumstances, he exemplifies great customer service. He is friendly, helpful, patient and gracious. My next Puget Sound Business Journal article is about the importance of having customer-centric front-line staff like Mr. Kinkos. What a difference it makes. I will go out of my way to patronize this particular store because of this stellar employee.

Let’s celebrate the companies and individuals that have great customer service. If you encounter outstanding customer service let me know.

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