By Vikas Vinayachandran
How many times have you heard stories of customer advisors who try to superimpose their ideas without considering the customer’s choice?
One cloudy day, I was walking up the high street that had some of the best retailers. As I walked into a store (a popular retailer) and two customer advisors approached me with such aggressiveness that it resembled some of those hungry tigers ready to pounce on their prey.
It was obvious that they needed me to buy as much as possible to leave me alone. I had to make a conscious attempt to calm them down. However, they would not let me take a look at their products in peace. Both of them seemed to take canvassing to intolerable levels. While ignoring my interest in certain specific products, they would only try to sell those that did not interest me. I was beginning to lose my patience with the two of them.
When my tolerance reached its limit, I decided to leave. As I hurried out, I could see their faces turn red and their insincere smiles disappear. Their tone changed and they began to grumble amongst themselves without realizing that I could hear them.
As I exited the building, the watchman of the store approached me and offered apologies for what had happened. He seemed to have noticed it all. He apologized for the bad behavior of his colleagues.
Surprisingly the watchman seemed to have understood the following quote better than the sales guys themselves:
‘Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will.’- Kate Zabriskie
According to A. Kozma, treating customers well is crucial for any business to succeed in a competitive market. In her article, “6 Tips on How to Treat Customers Professionally”, A. Kozma stresses the importance of actively listening to customer concerns and providing the right choices. The need of the customer should supersede the largeness of the incentive earned by the sales person.
Customer service is a mindset and not just a mask to put on at work. The watchman possessed the mindset, while the customer advisors tried to put on the mask for a short while. Customer service becomes very challenging for those who refuses to recognize customers as priority.
‘In business you get what you want by giving other people what they want.’ – Alice MacDougall
So, if someone cannot understand customer needs first, how can they be in the service sector? Investing in quality customer service processes and handling difficult customers with respect and empathy is essential.
Customer Service Training at Momentum Training Solutions focuses on giving employees the precise set of attitude, soft skills and knowledge that are key to creating delighted customers.