7 Things Your Customers Don't Want To Hear
Monday, January 16, 2006
Jeff Wuorio is a veteran freelance writer and author of books like How to Buy and Sell (Just About) Everything writes a very interesting article on Microsoft Small Business Center about
a sampling of things that a client or customer should never, ever hear at your business::
1. "Why are you doing that for him?" This is pretty much what the hardware store owner's flip remark meant. It may seem ludicrous to say it, but service for a customer - be it run of the mill or beyond the call of duty - should never be questioned in front of the person with the credit card in hand.
2. "Are you sure you can afford this?" That sort of remark effectively questions a customer's capacity to pay for a particular item, not to mention showcasing a laziness to display wares that may end up back on the shelf. That's not to say you shouldn't do customers the courtesy of letting them know something is expensive, but don't do it with the connotation that it's probably beyond their means.
3. "What an idiot that last guy was!" Said by one grocery clerk to another as I stood ready to pay for my kids' Cheez Poofies or some other such vile snack. Needless to say, not every client or customer is cherubic in word and deed, but commenting on them to another employee - or, even worse, a customer - is gossipy and grossly unprofessional.
4. "We don't have it." Of course, businesses run out of stock or may not offer a certain service or item, but just hearing "no" or words to that effect is tantamount to adding "And stay out!" Don't leave things hanging like that. Instead, make sure you offer customers alternatives to what they want.
5. "What a ______ name." (Choose "different," "funny," "unusual," "bizarre," etc.) Don't misunderstand me. I know I have a, shall we say, esoteric last name. But I don't adore the attention I get when an insipid nitwit callously editorializes about my family moniker. Not sensitive in the least. Not me. But not everyone is as thick-skinned, so make it a policy never to remark on a customer's name, as even well-intentioned curiosity may come across inappropriately. Instead, it's far more politic to ask how a person's name is pronounced correctly.
6. "I haven't a clue about what I'm talking about, but I'll ramble on regardless." Don't strangle your employees' eagerness to help clients and customers, but urge them to stick to topics and advice with which they're familiar. And, if they don't know something, make certain they refer customers to an employee who does.
7. "I only work here." In four wretched words, an employee conveys a complete absence of enthusiasm or involvement, let alone a willingness to address a problem. Instead, make certain your people know that there's likely someone else available who can tackle something that is beyond their means.
Read full post here.
Tags: small business customer sales
posted at 12:34 PM
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