The other day, I was checking out at a retail store (that shall remain nameless) and the salesperson addressed me with a hum. Not the kind like she was glad to see me either. After about 3 seconds, I politely said "hello, how are you doing?" Because I have never been greeted with a hum I thought for a minute that maybe the person was unable to speak. NOPE! She was completely capable of speaking because after she rang up all of my items, she gave me the total. I was speechless at that point. After the transaction, she slid my receipt into the bag and proceeded to give me the bag by holding up the handles like "here, be gone now". So instead of her initiating the normal closing of a transaction with a "have a nice day" like a salesperson is supposed to, I told her "you have an awesome day". Still, even after that, I received nothing. Not a Good-bye. Bye. Or a see you later.
Customer service is where competitors can get ahead of you if you aren't on your service A game. If you have employees, it is imperative that they go through your company's training on how to greet, treat, and handle customers. Don't take customer service lightly. Most people are repeat customers based on their experience and interaction with the salespeople. Now, this doesn't mean you bow down to your customers every command either. Let me explain...
A year ago, I provided an online course for my study skills and note taking class. Right before one of the classes started I received a call from an irate customer. Before I could even say my name she began yelling at me at the top of her lungs. She wouldn't let me get a word in at all and just kept yelling at me. Well the yelling eventually turned into insults and that is where I became a little hot under the collar. At that time, I told the customer that I was going to refund her her money and politely told her that she had to promise to never call me again. And that is how the transaction ended.
Never allow a customer to beat up on you or your employees. Your business is above that. With that said, you do have to be mindful of how to handle situations like a described above. When the customer started yelling at me, I made it a point to express to her that I wasn't yelling and that I deserved the same respect I was giving her. Always remember to keep calm!
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