Savannah, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/16/2013 -- Since being in business since 2004, I have to admit, I’m a sucker for two things: 1) creative marketing that makes you stop and think 2) good customer service. The two together are a deadly combination in business.

I am the type of person that fills out a questionnaire or survey after good service instead of simply complaining about the bad. I think positive reinforcement for both customers and the companies they do business with is on the wane in our society. What has happened to smiles, pleases, thank you’s and taking responsibility for our mistakes instead of denying that the customer is always right.

I’m the type of person that will message a business’s public Facebook page and say “I’m impressed by your marketing” instead of “liking” a picture of my sister’s cat. Every single week at my visit to the Hoboken ShopRite, I am repeatedly impressed by Shoprite’s dedication to problem solving and customer service. I used to avoid the line for deli meat because I could easily eat an hour there. Then one day I saw something remarkable. There is a convenient pick-up spot for your own very fresh deli meat and cheeses. ShopRite management read my mind. A solution to my weekly dilemma! Call ahead and place your order. Brilliant. Why? Problem: long line during peak times. Solution: reward customers for planning ahead. I LOVE going grocery shopping because I respect the ShopRite chain for always going above and beyond to make my life easier without making it too expensive. Their reward? My repeat business and public proclamation of my love for this local grocer on a national forum.

ShopRite understands that the essence of a quality product, service or even good employee is starting with the question: “How can I make your life easier today?” I have paid special attention on this topic since Hurricane Sandy last October when ShopRite in my previous hometown of Hoboken, NJ, closed and my life actually because significantly more difficult. There wasn’t enough convenient, affordable products to support our community. My daily life felt like an eternal errand. And I, the girl who believes in smiling no matter what the circumstance, became very, very cranky. I vehemently craved an easier way to get from point A to point B. I was tired, boy was I tired. I would’ve paid top dollar to the person at any of these establishments in my one-mile-square home who stepped in and said, “How can I help you today?”—and meant it.

The Great Recession has been long and miserable, but in many ways it has revived the true spirit of Capitalism in the US. I admit, even I became lazy in my marketing before January 2010 when I was forced to re-structure my company. It was tough-but I’m better for it. And I think my clients are too. It is true, out of struggle comes resourcefulness and ingenuity. The whole “I walked a mile in the snow” line our parents and grandparents used to say. I truly believe that the companies left standing today in the New Economy are not only surviving but they are thriving and will continue to do so. In a time when smart companies offer more services to their clients and have remained responsive to the public’s needs, I urge Americans to answer the basic question: “How can I help you today? How can I make your life easier?”

I urge those who are servicing people in any industry to remember to smile, say please and thank you. People remember someone who has kept them smiling. Let us not forget loyalty. In this economy, with more competition, it has become tough to stay loyal. So remember those brownie points, however small. Lastly, make an effort to make someone else’s life easier. In business and in life, it is simply the right thing to do.

In the end we—customers and service professionals alike—are the winners of supreme client satisfaction.

As seen in “Women’s Voices Magazine”: http://womensvoicesmagazine.com/

About Rebecca Crowley
Rebecca Crowley is the Founder of RTC Publicity. She can be reached at: rebecca@rtcpublicity.com or 912-777-6965 (office phone). RTC Publicity is active on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RTCPublicity, linked-in (http://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccacrowley) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/rtc_publicity).

About RTC Publicity
RTC Publicity was founded in July 2004 by Rebecca Crowley. Rebecca’s vision was to offer a PR shop that was an ethical and affordable solution for small companies looking to elevate their profile and perfect their branding. Though Rebecca started her career at Penguin in book publicity, the early years at RTC were spent doing consumer and lifestyle PR, servicing fashion designers, the food services industry and internet start-ups.

In 2010, RTC was re-launched as a one-stop-book-marketing shop merging Rebecca’s love of books with mainstream marketing knowledge. Working with RTC is a unique experience. Clients often come out with more than they could have imagined. Rebecca’s visionary ability coupled with her analytical thinking leaves authors with marketing knowledge and resources they can use for their entire careers.

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