Common Sense Customer Service? Yeah Right…
Sometimes I feel weird talking about and writing about the stuff I do. I mean, this stuff isn’t rocket science. Isn’t this all just obvious common sense that everyone already knows? Then I spend about seven minutes existing in the world and realize that no, this stuff is not common at all…
A few days ago I walked into one of the those “Healthy Vitamin” type stores (those of you who know me well may feel free to pick your jaw up off the floor at anytime). I have recently gotten onto the “home-made smoothie” train and needed some protein powder, and this seemed like the type of store that would have it.
I am the only customer in this small store, and there is one woman behind the counter. I make a quick trip around the store and don’t see any protein. I guess that maybe they don’t carry it, but I want to check to be sure.
As I walk towards the counter, the phone rings and the woman answers it. This is where things get interesting (and annoying).
I stand there, patiently waiting for her to get off the phone so I can ask my simple question. Well, this woman just seems lost in her phone call.
I quickly begin to suspect that this is not a work related call. I suspected this for two reasons:
- She was chatting away in a foreign language. I’m not saying that you can’t take a business call in a foreign language, but it seems more likely that this was a friend or family member.
- There was waaaaay too much laughing on that call for it to be a purely work related call. I’m the guy who talks about having fun at work, and I’m telling you this was “friendly chatty laughter,” not “work time fun laughter.”
So I’m standing there waiting for her to end what in my mind is a social phone call. Through the entire call she does not acknowledge me standing there, tell me she’ll be with me in a minute, or even make eye contact.
Eventually she starts moving towards the wall where the phone cradle is and I assume that she is about to hang up. The person on the other end of the line must have said something very droll, because just then the woman laughs loudly, moves away from the wall, and leans up on the counter and continues chatting. Astonishing.
At this point I have had enough and I walk out. As I am halfway through the door I hear her call out, “can I help you sir?”
That, my friends, is the definition of “too little, too late.” Or as I like to think of it, “too stupid, too bad.”
I took a little glee in hearing her call after me, but mostly I was just shocked at the dumbass customer service. How is it possible that such simple, obvious, common sense stuff gets missed???
Here are a few simple things that this woman and all of us can takeaway from this ridiculous experience:
Acknowledge Your Customers!
A little courtesy and acknowledgment. Is that too much to ask?
Would it have been hard at all for her to say, “[In to the phone] Can you hold for one second? [To me] Can I help you?”
If my request was quick she could have answered it, if not she could have said, “I will be happy to help you in a minute as soon as I finish this customer on the phone.”
Simple! It would have engaged me, given me a status update, and let me know why i was being ignored, all in about ten seconds. But no, instead she just ignored me. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Commodities Need Great Service
Stop! I’m on the phone! (Not the best customer service strategy...)
Here’s the thing: if you have a commodity business, you can pretty much only stand out on two things: price and service. If you are truly unique and valuable, you can get away with awful service. My favorite cheesesteak place is not known for their great service; in fact, they are known for their rough service. It doesn’t matter, because the steak is so good everyone puts up with – it even becomes part of the charm. (Do you like how I worked in a mention of eating cheesesteaks in a post about visiting a healthfood store? I am truly a complex individual…)
The kicker is that you don’t get to decide whether you are a commodity or not, your customers do. Guess what? Chances are they see you as a commodity. I don’t mean to be insulting, but that’s the way it is. I think I’m unique. I’m the only “Motivational Smart Ass” in the world. There’s only a handful of speakers in the world who do keynotes that integrate improv, standup, and motivational speaking, and no one does it quite like me.
Sadly, to many consumers, I am still just a “motivational humorist.” To them, I am one of many. My goal is to change that over time (and that should be the goal of every business) but for now, I get it. If I am rude or offer bad service, most clients would just pick the phone and call the next motivational humorist on their list.
Don’t buy into your own “uniqueness hype.” To many prospects and customers, you are just one of many dentists, or accountants, or hotels, or gyms, or, yes, health food stores. Chances are you can’t afford to deliver bad service.
Separate the Urgent from the Important
Some things are both urgent and important. Many, however, are one or the other.
I get that, and I am not going to rant against it. But keep some perspective: which is more important, a friend on the phone or a customer in the store? Even if it wasn’t a friend, which is more important: a customer on the phone asking for info or a live body in the store ready to spend money?
It’s possible I am wrong. Maybe the phone call happened to be from a long time customer who spoke the same native language and was chatting it up en route to placing a super large order. If so, I guess she prioritized correctly. Then again, you could always refer back to my first point; a ten second acknowledgment of my presence and need and none of this would have been a problem.
In retrospect, I find this story to be both amusing and sad. Amusing because I always find stupidity funny. Sad because it seems that this is the state of affairs in the world. Customer service isn’t hard, it just takes a little bit of thought and a little bit of good communication. That sounds like common sense, but as I have discovered, that kind of common sense is far from common.
***
Are you planning an event and looking for a great speaker to add humor and energy? One that is truly unique and not a commodity?? Then visit Avish’s Motivational Humorist page now!
About
By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+
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What is more astounding is that the owner of this shop is in business to make money….at least I assume so. The fish rots at the head, the fruit does not fall far from the tree….the owner/boss is the problem, the gal is a symptom of his/her attention or lack of to what he intended to create. What you focus on grows and owner is likely only focused on making sure his store is staffed with a body that accepts cheap pay….sometimes I’ve seen small stores that are staffed by foreign speaking owners themselves and have experienced this kind of customer service. In that case it’s I belive cultural, they don’t see anything wrong with it and because they are usually located in neighborhood areas demographically similar to their own culture, they survive bcuz they are being normal!? Common sense is the problem. We’d like to think that “people should know better.” But each subsequent generation I see pass thru our large orgnizations doors has less and less common sense. Upbringing, right? Manners mostly. A few years ago applicants, even for entry level positions would show up in long sleeve dress shirts and shoes. Maybe it was an older brother or fathers shirt a bit too big but the effort was made and it eeked of respect and you have to appreciate that. Now we get applicants that show up in jeans, piercings, tattoos and black nail poslish with matching lip stick chewing gum. They honestly see nothing wrong with that bcuz no one told them it aint right. Heck, you can go to church dressed like that now bcuz the pastors want to reach out to the youth on their own terms. So now our employee handbooks says things like, “an acceptable standard of hygene means that one bathes daily using soap and water cleaning hair and body and using appropriate deodorant….” Yes, we even have to tell people there is a standard for cleanliness. Customer Service is not dead, it is just being taught in the workplace as a policy and procedure instead of in the home as a customary acceptable standard for life and so if the owner does not spend time on it or care, so goes the way of his store….Right from wrong, if taught at home looks like and sounds like common sense.