Have you ever been treated badly simply because of how you were dressed? I bet it didn’t make you feel very good, did it?
Real World Story: The other day, my husband and I went browsing at the stores at our local mall. We eventually wandered into the upscale department store Bloomingdale’s and headed over to the women’s shoe section. I’ve been looking for a certain type of shoe for months, and I thought I would check to see if Bloomingdale’s carried them in stock.
While walking around, I passed a salesman. He paused, looked me up and down and then started to walk 
away. He glanced back and said (not asked) with a scowl on his face, “You don’t need any help, do you?” He then turned his back and started to walk away without waiting for my reply.
So, I followed him. I caught up and said, “Yes. I DO need help.” Building on his earlier glares and stares, he now looked bothered. I told him I was looking for a kitten heel, close-toed shoe. He mumbled something about how that style was out of season and hard to find, but, nonetheless, he walked me over to the exact shoe that I was looking for. With an even more bothered tone, he asked, “What size?” I replied, “Ten and a half.” Quickly and with obvious relief, he retorted, “We don’t carry that size here. The largest size we carry is a ten.” He said it like I was a mutant with extremely large freakish feet.
He quickly turned to leave but turned back and said, “You might want to try Nordstrom. They carry shoes that large.” Then he was gone.
Ick! I felt humiliated, ugly, unworthy and embarrassed of my unusually large feet. I couldn’t wait to get out of that store. And yes, I have NO intention of EVER returning to Bloomingdale’s—for anything!
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Judge not, that ye be not judged: Never, ever, ever, ever, ever judge a customer by his or her clothing, hair color, skin tone, accent—or shoe size. All customers deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Period. Otherwise, beware that you be judged for your professional shortcomings in someone’s blog post in return.
- Commit and deliver: Sending mix signals will confuse and may anger your customers. If you don’t have time to help a customer, don’t act like you do. For example, if you ask, “How can I help you?” be prepared to help. Take your time, make eye contact and be present.
- Follow through: After you help the customer, ensure his or her satisfaction before running off. Perhaps you could end with a question like, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Then be prepared to help or to direct the customer to someone else who can help with the new request. Being too eager to end a transaction without any follow through will give customers the impression that you are glad you are done with them.
Remember: And I can’t say this enough—customers want to feel important and special. You don’t have to go overboard with niceties, but you must always show RESPECT. This will help you go a long way in creating loyal and happy customers—even the ones who may have feet that are a bit larger than most!
What do YOU do to ensure you are always respectful with customers? Please share in the comments section below.