It's All About The Customer

Hopefully, we would never put a sign up in our stores barring anyone from entering. but because of the level of service, or lack thereof, a lot of establishments do just that. They are saying “Keep Out” or “you’re not appreciated here” or “I have a list of things to do a mile long so don’t bother me with useless questions today.”

It’s sad to say that those people just don’t get it. And probably never will. But due to their inability to keep a well maintained store they are silently delivering a message of Keep Out!

Today I had a lot on my list of things to do. It was payroll Monday. Got that done first thing this morning. Then I have paperwork to complete totalling last week’s sales. There’s still some shipment to get put out. There were plan-o-gram revisions that needed to be done. There are sections that have to be moved which involved about moving three other sections before I could get to the main one. Then there are the customers that come in and interrupt the flow by asking so many questions. Plus, I was training someone on the new register system we have. The landscaping company for the shopping center was doing some maintenance in the common areas of the parking lot. This was stirring up a lot of dead grass and leaves which the customers kept tracking into the store. This meant they were getting the rugs and the floor dirty (after I had swept twice this morning). Then the phone calls started. Customers, other stores, vendors, telemarketers . . . . it went on like this all day today. I should have just put the KEEP OUT sign on the door and left for the day.

But I didn’t. I answered questions while training. I sincerely thanked my customers for their loyalty. I swept the rugs multiple times today (and should have once more at closing). I answered each phone call. I got most of the sections moved. I took out trash. I served the customers. In all of this, I had the “Welcome” mat out instead of the “KEEP OUT” sign posted.

As busy as you may get with all of the activities of the day, do you still have your welcome mat out?

Guest Experience vs. Customer Service. How do you make your “customers” feel like invited guests?

I can’t do this justice. Read this blog to see what he has to say about it. He’s a better writer than I am anyway.

Click here to read his post.

Hopefully it will get you thinking about creating an experience for your guests!

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was well known in the science world for his work in physics, specifically in the work of relativity. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.

So, I am sure most of you are asking why I would be writing a blog about Albert Einstein. He has been given credit for the following quote:

“If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.”

Most of us have a problem with Z. The pattern is to open our mouth and speak. We have it in the wrong order and we’re usually missing a step.

1) Think first – A business executive was visiting Memphis giving a presentation to FedEx employees. He sent out a “Tweet” lamenting about the conditions of the part of the city around the Memphis airport. “True confession: but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say “I would die if I had to live here!” I am sure he had no intention of that word getting out so quickly and eventually making it back to FedEx management. Well, you guessed it, it did. And it ruffled the feathers of most of the folks attending his presentation. Needless to say, it didn’t go over well.

2) Open your mouth – Speak clearly. Slang words, rushed communication or certain catch phrases/cliches don’t always come across the same to every listener. It’s probably a great idea to be educated about your product or service before you offer any opinion or information. We’re not in control of how someone else interprets our words.

3) Speak last – Often we need to use our ears when we speak. If we engage our ears more to listen to what has already been said and what needs to be said, we might say the right thing more often than not. How many times have we said the first thing that comes to mind when presented with a situation that requires a response? Too many. Instead, when asked a question, ask yourself another question. Do I have all the information I need to answer this question?

In the social media world (Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogging, email, etc.) our words are exposed to potentially millions of viewers. Whether in these forums or on-on-one communication we should watch our worlds carefully.

Learn when to stop talking.

“Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.” The Last Lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch

I finished reading “The Last Lecture” recently. It is a wonderful book about achieving childhood dreams, being in zero gravity and finding out hidden truths about everyday heroes.

Dr. Pausch plays down the fact that this lecture was something spectacular. He even admitted that if he hadn’t been dying of (pancreatic) cancer, his lecture or the ensuing book might not have had such broad exposure. But three points he made in this “lecture” to his children really stood out — show gratitude, tell the truth, no job is beneath you.

1) Show Gratitude – Look your customer in the eye and say thank you! No matter the setting, a well-timed, sincere thank you can turn someones ordinary day into extraordinary. When someone renews their membership, tell them you appreciate their dedication and loyalty.

2) Tell the truth – Why is this one so hard to do? Even if it means you look bad in the situation, think how much worse it will be if you lie and the truth eventually comes out? Many years ago a friend of mine (former friend that is) made up this elaborate story about how she had just moved to town and was trying to rent an apartment. All she had was the check her grandparents gave her and no bank would cash it since she didn’t have an account. I co-signed the check for her and was soon out the $500 for the check. She had stolen it and had skipped town once she got the cash in her hands. Lesson learned by me.

Think of how we treat customers when we are out of a product. If we told the truth instead of creating some elaborate story we could gain the trust and confidence of that customer. It takes less money to keep our customers than it does to attract new ones. Honesty, integrity, truth, quality . . . these are all words for which everyone and every business wants to be recognized.

3) No job is beneath you – I had an employee once who would NOT clean the bathroom even though they were contributing to the problem. I never understood that one. I asked if they cleaned their own bathroom at home and they said “Yes!” This was part of the big picture. If I were to have a list of all the jobs that needed to be done in a store it would appear intimidating to some. Taking out the trash is an integral part. Trash collecting and dumping is not the cleanest or sweetest smelling job around. At one of my stores, it involves a trip to the dumpster which is shared by a Chinese restaurant. Frequently, they miss. Some things don’t always make in the bucket. Are you so proud that you believe there is a job you just can’t do?

Early on, Walt Disney realized that trash cans should be placed no further than 25 feet apart. Any further and the guest might leave their trash on the table, sidewalk or drop it on the ground without giving it a second thought. Every cast member is responsible for the cleanliness of all areas. You will even see management, supervisors, and other workers picking up trash who have other job descriptions. There is no job beneath any employee and it shows.

So, are you making good use of your time? Are you grateful? Do you have integrity? Is there any job beneath you?