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Real world story: On a recent business trip, I went through a rather awkward and confusing experience. As an Avis preferred member, I usually get a confirmation email letting me know the space number of my rental car in advance, so I can proceed immediately to it when I arrive. But for some reason or another, this time, I was sent an email telling me I needed to go to the counter before going to my car.
When I approached the counter, I encountered two agents—each working with a customer. Neither of them looked at me nor acknowledged my presence. I stood in front of them for at least seven minutes. The two employees NEVER looked at me. They were friendly with their customers and seemed to take their time, so I was hopeful I would receive the same treatment. However, when one customer left, the attending employee finally looked at me and pointed to the other employee saying, “She’ll work with you.” She didn’t smile and barely made eye contact. The second employee finally looked at me and asked abruptly—and again with no smile—“are you a preferred customer?” I said, “yes.” She immediately said, “The desk is outside.” I just stood there in confusion, so she very quickly repeated, “The desk is outside.” At this point, I’m feeling like a bother and intrusion, someone whose repeat business doesn’t matter.
I walked back outside to the other desk, which I at first didn’t even know was there. The second I approached, I was greeted by a gentleman with a huge smile. He said, “Hi. How can I help you today?” I immediately felt at ease. In fact, I felt so comfortable with him that I said, “Wow! You’re a lot nicer than the people inside.” A coworker next to him jumped right in and said, “Oh, yeah, they ‘re not very nice.” What? They KNOW the inside employees are not nice? And they’re telling customers that fact?
Strategies that Turn in Around:
- Acknowledge customers immediately. If you’re already working with another client, eye contact, a smile and a little wave go a long way in putting a customer at ease.
- When you DO become available, and you’re not able to take care of the next customer, apologize before pawning them off on another agent.
- If the customer needs to go to another desk or department, guide them there with a smile, patience and kindness. Don’t talk down to them like they should already know where they should go.
- Talk neutral or positive about your coworkers. If you admit that your coworkers are incompetent and unkind, it makes the entire organization look bad. Instead, apologize that the expectation of great service wasn’t met and demonstrate that you can do better by providing an outstanding experience.
Remember: First impressions matter. And so do last impressions. For your customer to have a fabulous experience, they need outstanding service at all touch points, not just a few.
What do YOU do to ensure all employees deliver an outstanding experience to each customer each time? Please share in the comments section below.