Customer Service Moment: Could Black Friday Ruin Your Business?
When customers walk into someone’s place of business to shop or buy something, what are they expecting?
Most people expect a courteous and helpful sales associate, to be served in a timely manner, to receive fair value, presentation of a quality product, to make the process quick and easy, and to be thanked whether you give them the business or not.
What do you get? Typically, you get a mechanical welcome, maybe someone says, “Can I help you?” Often it’s followed by telling you what they can’t do. They fail to understand that just because they’re out of an item doesn’t mean you don’t still want it or need it and will likely go to their competition to get it. All this, wrapped with a touch of rudeness.
Maybe this is a bit exaggerated. Many companies have multiple locations where the products are the same, but the service is not comparable from place to place. One may be fantastic, while another may be pathetic.
The inconsistency of people-performance will make or break a business.
Here is what will make you or anyone in a job they consider beneath them, or anyone who hates work, understand the formula for emerging into a better career:
1. Your self-esteem and self-image. How do you feel about yourself?
2. Your desire to serve. Do you believe in servant leadership?
3. Pride in your own success. Where does your motivation originate?
Companies spend millions, sometimes billions of dollars, on advertising, branding, merchandising, strategizing, and every other element of marketing that they believe will bring business success. But, if there are people involved, marketing means nothing if the people are not making a good first impression.
Try this exercise. Ask people, “How’s it going?” You’ll be surprised at the answers you receive. They may say “Just three hours to go.” Or “It’s Friday.” What kind of statement is that? What does that tell you about them as an employee, and the level of service attached to their attitude?
When you go to a hotel, a multi-million-dollar business rests on the shoulders of the front desk clerk. That’s the first impression you have. In a retail business, it’s no different. All the advertising gets you to come into the store. From there, it’s all about the retail clerk. Doctors and dentists now advertise. But it’s the person who answers the phone that gives a true reflection of what the doctor or dentist will be like.
What is your company like? Do you have people working there who hate their job? Do you have people with “attitude?” Here’s what you can do:
1. Work on your own attitude. You must think you will succeed before success is yours.
2. Set the example by being your best and doing your best.
3. Hang around with the winners, not the whiners.
The root word of “your” is YOU. Each employee has the responsibility of representing their company to their customers in a way that reflects the image and reputation needed to build or maintain a leadership position.
Anything less than “best” is not acceptable. But here’s the secret: Don’t do it for your company – do it for yourself. Develop the pride in doing your best at your job even if it’s not your career, or you use the word “just” when you describe it.
Real winners are few and far between. And making yourself one is a choice.
The first step is identifying your natural talents. The second step is using your natural talents to achieve your success. Use the link below to identify your natural talents:
inspiredperformancesolutions 