Time to put on our best face, Custer

Spring is in the air, the recent snow not withstanding. More businesses are opening, there are more people on the street, and the days are getting longer and warmer—again, last week’s snow notwithstanding. Yes, it’s springtime, even if it means the occasional cold day. After all, it’s spring in the Black Hills.
As Seth Thompson would write in the Sheriff’s Log, if it’s springtime, can summer be far behind? No, it can’t, and the streets will be lined with visitors before we know it. As soon as Memorial Day rolls around there seems to be a faucet that opens out of which people come pouring, flooding our streets and bringing with them opportunity for our businesses to make some money. They are going to be here, so we better take advantage of it.
That means it’s time for all of us to shine a light on our city in the best way possible. The Custer Area Chamber of Commerce, of course, takes the lead in this, and the staff there does a great job of putting on events, promoting our businesses and our city and making our guests feel like they are welcome and belong. Little things, such as our greeters who stand at the corner of 5th Street and Mt. Rushmore Road and wave hello to bikers as they come into town during Sturgis Motorcycle Rally time go a long way to planting the seed in people’s head that Custer is the place they want to visit, and the place they want to tell their relatives and friends to visit.
Customer service is key. And what is the key to customer service? Well, it’s not that difficult at all. Always remember the golden rule—treat others how you would like to be treated. If you treat people as a nuisance they are going to feel that. If you treat them in a way that denotes you are happy they are here and you are ready to make their visit the best it can possibly be, that is golden indeed.
Listening, understanding your customer’s needs, thanking the customer and promoting a positive, helpful and friendly environment will ensure our guests leave with a great impression. Customers that feel wanted are more likely to return often and are likely to spend more.
Multiple reports show excellent customer service can lead to increased customer numbers—through favorable word-of-mouth and online recommendations,  and higher dollar amount spent per customer per transaction. It’s certainly not rocket science. A friendly smile and a “hello, how can I help you?” goes a long way.
We understand that not all of the guests who come into your business are the most pleasant people you will come across. They can be demanding, pushy, and even downright rude. That is when we have to preserve and kill them with kindness. They may just be having a bad day. Maybe they really are a constant jerk. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is how we respond to those type of people. We can’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.
Custer, it’s time to rise to the occasion, which is what we do best. Polish those boots, put on that smile and put your best foot forward. The tourists are coming. Let’s show them that Custer is the place they want to visit, and the place to which they want to return.