I have a “pet peeve” when it comes to customer service. It appears that the new way of finishing a sale is for the clerk to place dollars on the palm of his/her hand, the receipt next, and a lot of loose change on top of that and then shove it at the customer as fast as possible, acting impatient and displaying “The Look” if it is not immediately accepted.
I try not to dawdle in the checkout lane, but honestly, it does take a little time to put coins and bills away in my billfold. It is extremely uncomfortable to have the checkout clerk glaring at me when I’m trying not to spill everything on the floor while “making my getaway!” Also, some of the receipts are so long that it takes a minute to fold them to fit in a billfold. It would be so much better if you would hand me the coins first, wait for me to put them away, and then hand me the rest!
During the winter holiday season, I shopped at a major department store when they were extremely busy waiting on customers. Imagine my surprise when the clerk actually walked around the counter to hand me my purchase and thanked me in the process! What a different scenario! I actually felt valued.
Being considerate and respectful is a major part of good customer service. Rudeness never encourages a customer to return for more of the same!
Training your employees to look for ways to show their customers that they are appreciated is a great way to boost your sales. Remember that a little consideration does wonders for convincing customers that “This is a good place to shop”.
Marlene