Customer service
Dec. 19th, 2014 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerI typed this up a few days before I got sick, and just realized I never got around to posting it. I suppose you could call it a combination of rant and advice. Now I've got cabin fever, since I haven't set toe out of the house except to go to the doctor's office since Saturday. Behind a cut, for length...
Customer Service
I thought perhaps this time of year, when people are shopping a lot more and the stores are so crowded, might be a good time to post something I've been thinking about for a while.
Many people start off young in an entry-level job that involves customer service, either in retail or in food service. However, I came late to working retail. I was 46 in 1998, when I got my first job in retail, at a Michael's Arts & Crafts store in Mississippi. I had never waited on a customer or rung up a cash register. However, the store offered a very generous employee discount, and even though I already had a job as a substitute teacher, I wanted to work there at least part time as soon as I saw them building the store. I went on board as a sales associate, but in a few years became the event coordinator.
To my surprise, I found I enjoyed the job very much. It was fun to help people find what they needed to make something, and to give them advice on whatever craft they were doing. I enjoyed stocking shelves and getting a first look at new products, and I liked my co-workers. After the first year, I gave up the substituting and began to work more hours (although still not full-time).
But I learned a lot about dealing with customers at that job, and I've been able to apply most of the things I learned to the job I have now, in a very different retail field, in the grocery section of the place where I now work. It's a small market in a small town, and I daresay nearly everyone in town shops there for at least some things, so it was a great way to meet people when we moved here.
It's also given me greater expectations from those who wait on me in other stores. The other day I was very annoyed by some poor service at the local Walmart. We had parked near automotive, as that was nearest to the items we needed to purchase. My husband went back to the car after we found what we needed, and I picked up a few things I still wanted. There was no one at the checkout when I returned. A small device on the counter said: “Press here for customer service”, (apparently to replace the ubiquitous bell that used to be there.) I did so, but there was no response. I waited. And waited. Then a guy came in with a used battery and plunked it down on the counter. Immediately a guy who I'd thought was a customer who'd been carrying on a personal conversation an aisle over, turned around and I saw that he was the cashier who was suppose to be attending the area!
I could tell he was bored with having to ring up my purchases, only one of which was automotive. He scanned them, but at the same time he was looking at the battery instead of me. Then he argued with me that he could not ring up two lemons I had because he had no scale. I assured him he could, since they did not have to be weighed. He looked annoyed when I turned out to be right. He barely made eye contact with me, and the second he was done he turned his attention to battery guy. He didn't even bother with the standard “have a nice day”.
I considered reporting his bad attitude, but decided to let it pass this time. I most assuredly will not let it pass again if I ever have to check out with him another time. I am much less tolerant of poor service than I used to be, because I know that it is not that difficult to give good service.
But I decided to put down a few of the things I've learned about how to keep customers happy.
Barbara's Rules of Customer Service
1. The first lesson I learned was from my first boss at Michael's, the first time I was faced with an endless line of customers at the check-out:
"Don't worry about the line; the only customer that really matters is the one directly in front of you. Take care of people one at a time." I've followed that advice ever since. If you have a long line, you buzz for someone to open another one if you can, and you focus on one customer at a time.
2. Keep a positive attitude. So what if your feet hurt, or you are tired or hungry, or a co-worker has ticked you off, or whatever other problems you have: It is NOT the customer's fault. If the joke they make about the weather is the 40th time you've heard it that day, they don't know that. If you've missed your break, that's not their problem. Believe me, they do notice if you have a sourpuss look on your face or if you are bored by having to wait on them.
3. Have a sincere smile and a kind word. Who knows? Your smile and your compliment on their nice sweater may be the only smile and kind word they have all day. You don't have to slow down your work to have a small conversation about the weather or their purchases, especially if there's no one else in line. And that leads to...
4. Be patient. If that elderly woman has to dig through to find her money, and counts out her pennies, remember that could be you some day. And if the customer has a problem with their food stamp card or their credit card, well, it isn't their fault either.
5. I know many stores have a set phrase they want you to use when approaching customers to see if they need help, but if they don't, a good one to use is “Are you finding everything you need?” Most customers respond positively to that one.
6. Be knowledgeable about what you are selling. When I see a customer pick up a cut of meat that I've bought and prepared myself, I can tell them that it's very good and suggest ways to fix it. But don't lie—when someone asks me about something I've never tried, I tell them that, but I can also say “We sell a lot of those,” or “I've had good reports of that from some of my other customers.” Or I can ask a co-worker.
7. So, you've been told to clean or stock shelves. You do that. But it's not the most important part of your job: the customer is. If I am in the middle of something, I will put it down and head for the register or stop to answer a question. Bosses will understand, believe me. They don't want long lines or upset customers.
8. So a customer is being obnoxious. So what. Some people really are obnoxious, but their money spends like anyone else's. Be as agreeable as you can; don't argue. If they want you to do something that you can't do (if it's against store policy or they want you to override a price), well, that's what they pay the bosses for. Send for your manager and let them deal with it.
9. You've made a mistake: rung something up twice, or made a mistake in the change, or shut your till too quickly before you got the change out. Just admit it and fix it, and apologize.
10. The most important thing of all: treat the customer the way YOU want to be treated when YOU go shopping!
Now here is the flip side:
Barbara's Rules for Being a Good Customer
1. Yes, the store employees are there to serve you; they are most assuredly not there to be your servants. There is a difference you'd do well to keep in mind.
2. Be patient. Perhaps she/he is new or under stress. If the checker messes up, don't get mad. She/he is already embarrassed enough. If you see the mistake and she/he doesn't, point it out calmly.
3. Feel free to pass the time of day with him/her briefly, but don't share your life's story. Don't make lame jokes about the cost of things or complain about prices. The person behind the cash register doesn't set the prices. Be aware if there are other people waiting for their turn.
4. OTOH: if you are behind someone else and there's a problem, for goodness' sake have some patience. Maybe that old lady has no choice but to pay with nickels and pennies; maybe that child who's been sent in by mommy to pick up the milk doesn't know how to use that bank card; maybe there's something wrong with the card reader; maybe that cash register suddenly decided to reboot. Rolling your eyes, tapping your fingers, and muttering remarks will not make things go one bit faster.
5. Be alert. Watch your purchases being rung up, and make eye contact with your checker. Don't stand there ignoring her/him while you talk on your phone or text or carry on a conversation with someone else. And if he or she greets you, it is rude and hurtful not to respond.
tl;dr: I guess what I've been saying is, that when you serve the public, or when you have a need to be served in public, the application of good manners, common sense and civilized behavior will go a long way to making life easier and more pleasant all around!
Thank you for your attention.
Customer Service
I thought perhaps this time of year, when people are shopping a lot more and the stores are so crowded, might be a good time to post something I've been thinking about for a while.
Many people start off young in an entry-level job that involves customer service, either in retail or in food service. However, I came late to working retail. I was 46 in 1998, when I got my first job in retail, at a Michael's Arts & Crafts store in Mississippi. I had never waited on a customer or rung up a cash register. However, the store offered a very generous employee discount, and even though I already had a job as a substitute teacher, I wanted to work there at least part time as soon as I saw them building the store. I went on board as a sales associate, but in a few years became the event coordinator.
To my surprise, I found I enjoyed the job very much. It was fun to help people find what they needed to make something, and to give them advice on whatever craft they were doing. I enjoyed stocking shelves and getting a first look at new products, and I liked my co-workers. After the first year, I gave up the substituting and began to work more hours (although still not full-time).
But I learned a lot about dealing with customers at that job, and I've been able to apply most of the things I learned to the job I have now, in a very different retail field, in the grocery section of the place where I now work. It's a small market in a small town, and I daresay nearly everyone in town shops there for at least some things, so it was a great way to meet people when we moved here.
It's also given me greater expectations from those who wait on me in other stores. The other day I was very annoyed by some poor service at the local Walmart. We had parked near automotive, as that was nearest to the items we needed to purchase. My husband went back to the car after we found what we needed, and I picked up a few things I still wanted. There was no one at the checkout when I returned. A small device on the counter said: “Press here for customer service”, (apparently to replace the ubiquitous bell that used to be there.) I did so, but there was no response. I waited. And waited. Then a guy came in with a used battery and plunked it down on the counter. Immediately a guy who I'd thought was a customer who'd been carrying on a personal conversation an aisle over, turned around and I saw that he was the cashier who was suppose to be attending the area!
I could tell he was bored with having to ring up my purchases, only one of which was automotive. He scanned them, but at the same time he was looking at the battery instead of me. Then he argued with me that he could not ring up two lemons I had because he had no scale. I assured him he could, since they did not have to be weighed. He looked annoyed when I turned out to be right. He barely made eye contact with me, and the second he was done he turned his attention to battery guy. He didn't even bother with the standard “have a nice day”.
I considered reporting his bad attitude, but decided to let it pass this time. I most assuredly will not let it pass again if I ever have to check out with him another time. I am much less tolerant of poor service than I used to be, because I know that it is not that difficult to give good service.
But I decided to put down a few of the things I've learned about how to keep customers happy.
Barbara's Rules of Customer Service
1. The first lesson I learned was from my first boss at Michael's, the first time I was faced with an endless line of customers at the check-out:
"Don't worry about the line; the only customer that really matters is the one directly in front of you. Take care of people one at a time." I've followed that advice ever since. If you have a long line, you buzz for someone to open another one if you can, and you focus on one customer at a time.
2. Keep a positive attitude. So what if your feet hurt, or you are tired or hungry, or a co-worker has ticked you off, or whatever other problems you have: It is NOT the customer's fault. If the joke they make about the weather is the 40th time you've heard it that day, they don't know that. If you've missed your break, that's not their problem. Believe me, they do notice if you have a sourpuss look on your face or if you are bored by having to wait on them.
3. Have a sincere smile and a kind word. Who knows? Your smile and your compliment on their nice sweater may be the only smile and kind word they have all day. You don't have to slow down your work to have a small conversation about the weather or their purchases, especially if there's no one else in line. And that leads to...
4. Be patient. If that elderly woman has to dig through to find her money, and counts out her pennies, remember that could be you some day. And if the customer has a problem with their food stamp card or their credit card, well, it isn't their fault either.
5. I know many stores have a set phrase they want you to use when approaching customers to see if they need help, but if they don't, a good one to use is “Are you finding everything you need?” Most customers respond positively to that one.
6. Be knowledgeable about what you are selling. When I see a customer pick up a cut of meat that I've bought and prepared myself, I can tell them that it's very good and suggest ways to fix it. But don't lie—when someone asks me about something I've never tried, I tell them that, but I can also say “We sell a lot of those,” or “I've had good reports of that from some of my other customers.” Or I can ask a co-worker.
7. So, you've been told to clean or stock shelves. You do that. But it's not the most important part of your job: the customer is. If I am in the middle of something, I will put it down and head for the register or stop to answer a question. Bosses will understand, believe me. They don't want long lines or upset customers.
8. So a customer is being obnoxious. So what. Some people really are obnoxious, but their money spends like anyone else's. Be as agreeable as you can; don't argue. If they want you to do something that you can't do (if it's against store policy or they want you to override a price), well, that's what they pay the bosses for. Send for your manager and let them deal with it.
9. You've made a mistake: rung something up twice, or made a mistake in the change, or shut your till too quickly before you got the change out. Just admit it and fix it, and apologize.
10. The most important thing of all: treat the customer the way YOU want to be treated when YOU go shopping!
Now here is the flip side:
Barbara's Rules for Being a Good Customer
1. Yes, the store employees are there to serve you; they are most assuredly not there to be your servants. There is a difference you'd do well to keep in mind.
2. Be patient. Perhaps she/he is new or under stress. If the checker messes up, don't get mad. She/he is already embarrassed enough. If you see the mistake and she/he doesn't, point it out calmly.
3. Feel free to pass the time of day with him/her briefly, but don't share your life's story. Don't make lame jokes about the cost of things or complain about prices. The person behind the cash register doesn't set the prices. Be aware if there are other people waiting for their turn.
4. OTOH: if you are behind someone else and there's a problem, for goodness' sake have some patience. Maybe that old lady has no choice but to pay with nickels and pennies; maybe that child who's been sent in by mommy to pick up the milk doesn't know how to use that bank card; maybe there's something wrong with the card reader; maybe that cash register suddenly decided to reboot. Rolling your eyes, tapping your fingers, and muttering remarks will not make things go one bit faster.
5. Be alert. Watch your purchases being rung up, and make eye contact with your checker. Don't stand there ignoring her/him while you talk on your phone or text or carry on a conversation with someone else. And if he or she greets you, it is rude and hurtful not to respond.
tl;dr: I guess what I've been saying is, that when you serve the public, or when you have a need to be served in public, the application of good manners, common sense and civilized behavior will go a long way to making life easier and more pleasant all around!
Thank you for your attention.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 09:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 12:49 pm (UTC)Great job with the customer's rules, as well!
Excellent!!
About smiling and being friendly: Word gets around that ours is THE "friendly library" out of 7 in two whole counties. (In actual retail, this would translate into more sales income!)
*big hugs and good recuperation*
no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 01:52 pm (UTC)But one thing that ends up irking me is if there is some major delay because the person in front of me is insisting on having every item price-checked by someone or some other issue, there's a huge delay, and then nobody apologizes. For me, just a simple, "I'm sorry for the delay" from the cashier or "So sorry for holding things up" from the customer causing the delay (I'm not talking about an elderly woman counting out pennies or something beyond anyone's control, I'm talking about someone deliberately causing a big delay at the cashier because of arguing about prices or something. To me that's something that should be brought to customer service) goes a VERY long way with me and my impatience instantly goes away (er..unless I'm late for work or something, LOL).
no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 01:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 04:21 pm (UTC)*health-giving hugs and puppy snuggles*
no subject
Date: 2014-12-26 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-27 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 04:41 pm (UTC)I haven't done a ton of retail, although I had a few jobs as a check-out girl when I was younger. But a lot of the things you mention carry over to any sort of job where you interact with other people. If everyone could just remember to be patient, considerate and mindful of where they are and what they are doing when they are interacting with others, all sorts of daily interactions would be a lot more positive and productive.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 05:13 pm (UTC)My current peeve is a lot of grocery store cashiers and packers, when there is a separate packer, who won't pack your frozen and cold foods together and just throw them haphazard with your household and boxed goods when I neatly arrange these categories separately on the conveyer belt to make this easier for them to do--plus trying to put larger-but-still-baggable items without bags without asking if that is OK--which it isn't for me since I'm carrying it all myself.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-21 12:12 am (UTC)I worked in retail many years ago, and was taught that the customer was always right, and it was our job to assist them with a smile.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-21 01:27 am (UTC)I've noticed that the management team has a lot of influence on the way associates treat customers. If they are lsx, so are the employees.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-21 07:56 am (UTC)One of the biggest issue we had, was people allowing their children to trash the store while they shopped. The store had a children's section and some parents just left their rug rats there and let them scatter things, scream, fight, and on one occasion, a woman let her sons throw wooden train cars (Thomas the Tank Engine) over book shelves at other customers! (Did I say this was a book store? No? Well, it was.) People have abandoned children in our store while leaving to shop elsewhere and then coming back to get them. I was stunned by this. In short, some people shouldn't have children, but they do.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-26 07:15 pm (UTC)