Tug Of War
Ah…remember the fun of pulling as hard as you could? Then, as you leapt forward, you realized that you were being pulled back. Alarmed you would yell: “Pull!!!“ and everyone leaned back and grimaced while pulling with all their might. Everyone would struggle as hard as they could; veins popping out of their necks, teeth bared and chins up in the air as they p-u-l-l-e-d. The first person in line would dig their heels in, screaming :“NO!!!!!“ as they were dragged closer to the line. Finally, THUD! SPLASH! ; the frontline people would fall or get dragged into the mud.
Do you ever feel that it’s a game of tug and war when trying to get good customer service? Think of a time that you were shopping for a service or product that you wanted but the person standing at the counter was more interested in organizing the inventory than in letting you see what was behind the glass. Have you ever asked for something and the person taking care of you seemed uninterested in exploring options to match your needs? I have both witnessed and experienced this myself and I inevitably watch the “customer “ leave as I end up leaving myself- empty handed and dissatisfied.
Was it really because they didn’t have anything to accommodate our needs? Had they taken a vested interest and simply inquired about the intended use of the product, do you think that they could have suggested something that would fit our needs equally as well or maybe even better, than what we had asked for in the first place?
So many times the front line person- the one answering the phone, standing at the counter, or walking the aisles- has the best opportunity to increase the value of a customer’s experience. Greeting them as soon as they arrive; asking if they need help; walking them over to the correct aisle– speaks directly to the level of customer service that the establishment feels necessary for their clients.
It’s not always the team member’s fault for being so limited as to what they can offer; often it’s a lack of thorough training. Think of how many more customers you can gain if you properly equip your staff with the necessary tools to fully assist your clients. Leave that feeling of tug and war to the playground so that no one falls flat or gets stuck in the mud, your team and reputation included!