Have you ever had a customer service experience that left you so frustrated that you vowed—and have kept your vow—never to return, EVER? A friend of mine has, and she shared her recent story with me.
Real World Story:
“I was at Home Depot looking at area rugs. I found two young male employees to help me. I asked 
one of them, ‘How big is this rug? You know, 10 by 12, 6 by 8?’ The employee replies with the question, ‘How big is your living room?’ I explain that it’s not for my living room. ‘I’m looking for an area rug for another part of my house, but that shouldn’t matter. How big is this one?’ He says, ‘It’s xxx square feet.’ I start to grow impatient and say, ‘That’s not what I’m asking. Don’t you have that electronic measuring device that tells you the size?’ He reluctantly grabs the device and tells me the size.’ From my perception, it seemed like I was dragging him away from the super bowl or something else more important than I was.
So I left—too irritated to buy anything or to ever return!”
Strategies that Turn it Around: When dealing with customers:
- Stop what you’re doing and listen to your customers when they approach you with requests. This shows customers that you are present and in the moment.
- Apologize to your customers if you can’t help them in a particular moment. Then immediately find another employee who can help. This shows customers that you care about them and their issues.
- Listen to and answer customers’ questions BEFORE interupting them and asking clarifying questions. This shows customers that you want to thoroughly understand their problems.
- Never appear distracted or annoyed by a customer, even if you have other priorities or tasks to complete. This shows customers that you are professional and trustworthy.
Remember: Customers are the reason we are in business. Make them a priority by being present and treating them with respect, and you will create happy, loyal customers. This will undoubtedly impact your company’s positive bottom line. Who knows. This impact may even get you a raise.
What do YOU do to be present with your customers? Please share in the comments section below.
Don’t miss next week’s post for Part 2 of this real world story…