They’ll figure it out eventually.
Negative Ned Says…
“Some people come wandering through like they don’t have a clue how to find things. I’ve got a firm rule: Let them figure it out on their own. We have signs all over the place. See, the problem is, if you try to help them, they’ll just keep coming back for more help. So when someone starts looking lost, I pretend that I’m busy with something else. I’ve got better things to do.”
Positive Paul Says…
“If you want to succeed in business, being helpful is not only nice, it’s imperative. Customer service is more than just being kind and courteous. It’s about going the extra mile to actually help people — showing them where they need to go. Better yet, take them there yourself.
Since ‘helpfulness’ is a perception, we need to use language that will show we are helping. For example, instead of saying, ‘Is there anything more I can do for you?’ you could say, ‘Can I help you with anything else? By saying the word ‘help,’ you are demonstrating helpfulness, and the customer will recognize it. This is clear communication that gets the point across.
Like attitude and smiling, helpfulness is contagious. When you do something nice for someone, your level of serotonin, the naturally-occurring chemical that makes us feel good, increases. And not only in you, but also in the person you helped and in the people who observed you being helpful. This means that one kind act by one person can positively affect many people simultaneously.”
A Real World Example
Sally from Chicago was in one of my seminars and she shared this story:
“I entered a Safeway supermarket looking for ground beef to make a spaghetti dinner for a homeless shelter. I needed a large volume of beef, but had a limited budget. One of the meat department clerks showed me where the ground beef was located. The price was $2.99 per pound. The clerk could have left it at that. But she didn’t. The clerk suggested I buy the London broil for only $1.99 per pound, and the meat department would grind up the meat for free. This meat was leaner, healthier and cheaper. I was thrilled – no, ecstatic – with this suggestion and with the clerk’s willingness to go out of her way to help. I was so happy that I reported this positive experience to the meat department manager who promptly recognized that outstanding employee. Yes, Safeway would have made more money selling me the other product and spent considerably less effort, but they chose to put the customer first, creating a loyal, raving fan in the process. Now that’s how you do it!”
Moral to the story: Being helpful makes people happy – even if you have to grind your way through it!
Strategies to Turn This Around
Be helpful.
- If you see someone who looks lost or confused, help that person immediately.
- If you can, physically take her where she needs to go.
- When you are done, ask, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” or something similar.
Remember: Helpfulness is a perception. Use the word “help” and you will appear helpful.
“Biggest question: Isn’t it really ‘customer helping’ rather than customer service? And wouldn’t you deliver better service if you thought of it that way?”
— Jeffrey Gitomer
© 2012 by Barbara Khozam Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this message may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the publisher.