OK now I am back on line I have a few rants that just need to burst forth for starters service, you know the one where the customer gets served, correctly, feels happy and comes back for more.
Well, where’s it gone?
I mean I don’t think I am asking too much when I say I need help in a shop.
"Excuse me could you possibly help?"
Met with blank stare.
"I’m so sorry. (Thinking that shop assistant can’t possibly have heard me) Please could you help me?"
"I ‘eard yuh." The shop assistant continues to stare at me as she chews her cud, sorry gum.
Slightly disconcerted as I watch the machinations of her mouth. "Right um do you have any semi skimmed milk?"
Shop assistant shifts from one foot to another and flops over the counter and waves her hand. "Over there."
I look over my shoulder in what I think is the right direction. And swing back to say that I have already been over there to find that she is dialling someone up on her mobile phone.
I start to speak but her hand goes up in my face.
"Hiya Shell, yeh it’s me what yer doin tonight….nah nothing much. It’s really quite at work, it’s soooooo boring."
I’d like to say this is totally made up and of course it doesn’t happen, but it’s true. It happened at my local Co-op.
You’d have thought with so many out of work and a recession and all, that people would be only too keen to help, only too keen to hang on to their customers but it is not the case. Everywhere you go there are horror stories about poor customer care. The mind boggles, what planet are these people from? They seem to be demotivated, moronic, plainly not interested and basically rude.
Or is it me? Am I getting to that stage in my life where I expect more than can possibly be given? Are my expectations too high? Come on I’m only 44, I’m not ancient. I’m far too young to be ranting like this. But don’t people realise that when you are dealing with customers you actually need to engage?
Here are my top ten tips for those dealing with customers in a shop.
- Look smart – how you dress says a lot about you so pussy pelmets though great for parties ain’t quite the look on the frozen food aisles.
- Be clean. Have some personal pride you know clean hair, clean hands and nails especially if you are looking after food.
- Smile it really makes a difference in how you are treated.
- Know your products/shop/service inside out – you don’t want to be thought of more stupid than you are.
- Don’t gossip/answer texts/use your mobile during work – we’re paying you for a service not to listen to you mouthing off about your Ex.
- Don’t look as if you think all customers are dumb –they may be thinking the exact same of you.
- If you want respect give respect.
- Don’t chew gum – you look moronic, it’s disgusting.
- You will be surprised how well you will get treated if you yourself behave well towards your customers.
- Remember the customer is always right especially to her face and no voicing your opinion about her to your mate at the back of the shop while she is still shopping it won’t win you any brownie points. Trust me. I’m a customer!
8 comments:
you tell 'em, Tattie. True there are some very rude customers but sadly encounters such as this are all too common. It IS boring working in a shop, but the interesting bits are the "interaction" bits. My pet hate is when there are 2 or more of "them" and they stand around chatting and totally ignore you while you're just hovering there. Or when 3 of them "help" one person (1 being incompetent and the other 2 being nosy) and ignore the growing queue. Gah!!
Milla - they are particularly bad in clothes shops and can be very intimidating as in Pretty Woman. Still have fantasies about doing what she did but think Charlie might have a fit if I bent his plastic like that in Bury St Edmunds...
Those are all good, TW.
I used to be a staff trainer with John Lewis so you can imagine customer service is top of my bugbears when I come across rude, surly, disinterested staff elsewhere.
Funny how they can't be bothered serving and yet when you try and return an item they behave as if the money will be coming out of their own pay packet: I hate being made to feel I'm somehow cheating them.
I had an issue on Saturday in our local builder's merchants! Asked if it was there was a cost to having to extract information! Lost it a bit me thinks!
It's a fact that if staff engage customers more and are friendly and helpful they have more job satisfaction and enjoy their work.There's often a disconnect because they have nothing
invested in making the business successful. Good employers have ways of making that work for everyone.
At my age I say what I like and have the luxury of choice so don't go back if I don't like the service or the goods.Lucky to live in a country area, in a 'can do' country, where many own their own businesses so sink or swim by how they treat their customers.It's also well publicised on the grapevine when a business is slacking and most feel able to tell the boss what is wrong.Win/win usually.
Hear, hear Tattie! I hate slovenly service (and take my money elsewhere if I have a choice).
We once employed a teenager to help with odd jobs around the farm so she could earn a bit of cash. One time I was talking to her (about what she had/hadn't done) she flipped open her phone and started texting. She got the sack.
“Know your products/shop/service inside out” – If you fail on these parts, your customer will undoubtedly no longer trust whatever you would say. Always be knowledgeable of the product and the company you’re representing. And when you talk about it, you must sound smart, professional and reliable. Don’t let the customer think that you’re just making up stories.
-Novus Call Centers
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