Real World Story:
A customer is eating alone at a restaurant’s counter. The wait staff are talking loudly all around her, complaining about roommates. “She’s moving out. It’s a pain in the 
butt to find a new roommate. Oh yeah, I had to go through that last month.” On and on they kept talking while the customer tried to eat quietly. It was annoying and unprofessional.
A few years ago, I was at a naval base to present a team-building training. I needed to get a visitor’s badge from the front gate office to get onto the base. Twenty other people also waited in line for their badges. The two employees who were helping the customers took their time doing so. The entire time we are waiting, the two employees chatted back and forth about how much they had to drink the night before. One of them even used the “F” word. As customers, we were treated like an interruption and made to feel unwelcomed and disrespected. The experience left a very bad first impression before I drove on to meet my contact.
A few weeks ago, I arrived at a rental car counter to “claim” my rental car. The employee behind the desk was typing on her phone. After a few seconds, she looked up at me. She didn’t say a word and made me feel like an interruption. I said, “I have a reservation.” With a mean look on her face, she replied sarcastically, “You have a reservation.” I said, “Yes. I received two confirmation emails telling me so.” She continued, “What time is your reservation for?” I answered, “I don’t know. Now, I suppose.” After a few seconds of typing on her computer, she found my reservation—but not without making me feel bad in the process.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Have policies that prohibit employees from engaging in personal conversations with one another in front of customers. Limit personal chat to break times when employees are away from customers.
- Have policies that prohibit personal cell phone use while on the job. For family emergencies, employees should be contacted through official work channels.
- Instill in employees that there is no difference between one customer and 100 customers. Always be professional regardless of how many customers are present.
- Encourage employees to keep proactively busy when their workloads are slow. Look for ways that employees can make your company look good: straighten up displays, re-organize papers, pick up trash.
Remember: Every single employee of a company can make or break the reputation of any company. 86% of unhappy customers quit doing business with a company because of ONE bad experience. Make sure you represent your company well in how you behave, dress, talk, and interact with co-workers. In today’s noisy and uncaring world, your company brand is sure to stand out among your competition.
What are YOUR impressions of employees who personal chat or use their cell phones in front of customers? Please share your story in the comments section below.