I was in a sporting goods store in Austin, TX not long ago. Was purchasing what I call a “knee brace.” It helps me stabilize my right knee, so that I can work doing my “real” job handing out flyers door to door.
There were no problems, as far as I know, with my purchase; the problem was with how another customer was treated. He was asked to leave because he was getting “too loud.” Problem is that claim was not true. His voice had not changed one bit from the time I arrived at the register to the time my transaction was complete.
The problem is that they did not like the questions he was asking, so instead of answering the questions, they asked him to leave. I was the only other customer at the register, and there were more employees at this store than customers, wonder why?
After visiting the stores website I found no readily available email contact information. There was a phone number on the receipt, but the line did not go to any one with authority, like a manager. What it amounted to the other customer had asked about something earlier in the day, he was told to go home get what he needed and the store would provide a certain service for him. When he came back they refused to provide the service he was promised, so he started asking why someone had told him that something would be done, if they were not going to do it.
Instead of being willing to be held accountable and responsible for his own actions, the store sent the customer away.
So, I would like to suggest to those of you in what is sometimes referred to as “Customer No Service”, listen to your customers. If you kick all your customers out for being “too loud” when the real problem is that you do not like where the customers line of questioning seems to be going, you may find yourself with no customers at all.
Without customers, you would not have a job at all. Yes, some people try to cheat the system. But if you treat one customer badly, you may lose two or more. If you try to hide dissatisfaction with “private talks” or wait until every one else has left the store to deal with your “unruly” customer, the one ask questions, you do not like, you may find other customers wondering what you are trying to hide.
When I got home from that experience, I went straight to Facebook and Twitter and posted my opinion of the situation there, and there I named the store and put in the address, and on Facebook, I did some of it on their wall. So, now, you may have more than two dissatisfied customers. You may have those who have been somewhat dissatisfied, but afraid to say or do anything looking to competitors.
So, do not forget to treat your customers’ right, regardless of how you perceive them. Answer questions, if you can, if you can’t say so.
Before I went into the sporting goods store, I went into my bank, which keeps some branches open on weekends and holidays. I had a situation. The teller told me where I could go to resolve the situation. The person I needed to see was busy, and said “I’ll be right with you, sir.” And she was.
I overheard her conversation with someone on the phone while I was waiting. She made a mistake in number branch locations in a certain town, and told the recipient that, as she apologized for making the mistake.
She then explained a situation, but asked the caller’s name and phone number and then offered an alternative. She gave the caller the name and phone number of the branch manager the caller was inquiring about. Then she said, I’ll leave a message with my manager, too, and she did.
Then she helped me, she looked for the form she needed to fill out, and asked if any one else had filled out a form for the same thing. I told her, I thought someone had, then she made sure to email and fax the form for approval before I left, then told me so, and that on a holiday. She also explained to me where a branch of the bank that I had been near, but had not seen was. When she told me it was inside a certain mall, I figured out why I had not seen it. And this lady works for one of the big banks that we want to send away. But my personal experience with this big bank, is that for the most part they treat the customers the way a small bank would.
My bank did not even make the list of the most dissatisfied customers, like a lot of big banks have.
So, what is the difference between these two stories? I think it boils down to customer appreciation. Those who appreciate their customers provide excellent customer service, those who don’t, well don’t.
So, if your are in customer service, and that includes sales clerks, and tellers, remember that it is your job to “serve” the customer, that is why they call it “customer service”
