On ‘Getting It’ and Customer Service
At first this may not read as ‘Positive’, but bear with me.
Many people won’t see my message in this post,
but this is for the few who will………..
I walked into my local neighbourhood copy/mail/business service store and walked over to use the photocopying machine.
I lifted the lid to the copier, and before I could put my original sheet on the glass, I heard a terse voice to my right…..
“Do you know what you’re doing there ?” A harsh male voice demanded.
I looked calmly and there he was, the small business owner of the establishment. A man in his middle (late middle….) years, who had put all of his life savings into this venture. A man who came to work with his wife, early in the morning until late in the day, every day, because the business couldn’t afford to hire employees.
A frustrated man who had admitted to me, on a previous visit, that he was struggling . A man who blamed the economy, angry customers, and poor profit margins on his ever growing struggle just to stay afloat in this turbulent time.
And here he was, standing in an aggressive manner, speaking harshly to me as if I were some street thug threatening to rob him, not seeing me as a customer who might need help. His question, body language and tone of voice made it clear that he percieved me as a nuisance who threatened to destroy his property. Remember that he had confided in me on a previous visit? His eyes showed no recognition at this moment.
“Yes,” I replied, “I do know what I’m doing, thanks.”
“Why?” he said gruffly. “Have you used this machine before?”
“Umm, yes I have.” I ignored him and made my copy. Then looked back at him.
“Oh, ok then. Do you want anything else today or is that it?”
I told him that was it for the day, went to the cash register, paid him his money, and left.
This exact scenario repeats itself every single time a customer walks into his establishment.
Is it just him? Oh no ! His wife repeats the same type of accosting as well. It’s almost as if they attended a training session on ‘how to make people uncomfortable in as little as 3 seconds.’
Imagine if he ‘Got It’ . What if he said something more pleasant instead. What if he viewed his customers as capable people and was actually glad to see them come into his store. Yes, sometimes they might only spend 30 cents on a photocopy….. but it all adds up,….. and this is his business….. and they could choose to spend that money elsewhere, but he is glad they came here to spend it.
But he doesn’t ‘Get It’. He goes home at the end of the day and talks with his wife about all the morons that came into the store. They don’t stop to think of all the people that come in once…. get the treatment they give, and then never, ever come back. Instead he sits and laments that his business is failing…. through no fault of his own.
One small change ( a pleasant, non-combative greeting) could go a long way to transforming his business. But the thought won’t occur to him. He will eventually go out of business, because of bad customer service.
And no one will be upset about it. Nor should they be.
Extreme Choices
So you won’t try the advice from yesterday.
That’s ok, most people will agree with you.
They will say it’s too difficult to not look at either/or choices.
Try this instead then ( a different road to get to the same destination)
- Make your second choice painful
File my taxes today…… or else I will go to jail !
Work out today…….. or I will die a painful death tomorrow!
Get up now…….. or I will be fired from my job !
Now at first glance you might say I’m being over dramatic. But when do most people submit their taxes? that’s right….. when a penalty is imminent.
I admit the second choice you present yourself with has to be extreme, because it needs to force you into action.
The real trick isn’t coming up with the extreme choice, it’s fooling your mind into believing the story you tell it !
Given the Choice…….
Given a choice, most everyone chooses the easy path.
- Work out now or work out later ? most say later.
- Get up now or sleep for another 10 minutes? most sleep.
- File my taxes now or wait until tomorrow ? most wait.
The list goes on and on……. the results are the same.
So how does a person avoid this trap?
Here’s one solution; Don’t give yourself choices.
Stop the either/or cycle.
Do this.
Do it now.
There is no later.
Treat your actions as a first impression…… you only get one chance to do it right.
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