DO NOT GREET THE CUSTOMER

If the majority of your sales happen in a store or retail set up this piece of advice is for you. 

Early on in my career I worked as a Store Manager for one of the top clothing brands in the country.  The rate of success in a retail environment hinges on the number of sales you versus foot traffic that is why our Sales Associates (S.A.) fight tooth and nail to fight for the customer’s attention when they are in the vicinity of the brand. 

I have been very fortunate to have lead one of the most productive group of stores during that time mostly due to a simple formula that we applied coming from an average cosmetics S.A.

Her name was Kate.  She was one of the top performing S.A.’s in her division as well as in my area but was never really more eloquent or good looking than others.  Her cosmetics fixture in the beginning was actually at the deep end of the store but eventually moved her near the entrance when I observed how she connected with customers. 

I wanted everyone in my team to see how she did things and eventually do the same.  And it worked most of the time.

The technique boils down to a simple act:  The first point of contact.

What do you say when a friend visits your house?

Do you say “Good morning Sir, thank you for coming to the Smith residence. How may I help you?”

I sincerely doubt it.

You would say “Hi John, how are you?  Please come in.  Feel at home.”

Now doesn’t that sound better?

We’ve been so used to the robotics of customer service that it has become exactly that: robotic.  The usual lines of Good ______, welcome to _______ has been so monotonous that sometimes SA’s greet us good morning at 7pm!  Talk about a hangover.  We take greetings as a necessary chore that they throw it out on us without even looking.  Literally a no-look pass. 

You know this just as well.  You’re a customer too. 

Now during these times the word customer experience wasn’t even a priority.  Customer delight was more the byword of the times.  Companies had an unusual swagger that said I’m at the top of the food chain, I’m not at all threatened by competition because there is none. 

Kate did things differently, but had amazing results.  Every time a customer comes in rather than the usual greeting she would say “Hi mam, how are you?”  She would then say her name, offer to shake the customer’s hand and ask if she could do a demo. 

The word “Hi” was a phrase reserved for friends and family, much so asking “How are you?”   Then to proceed to introduce yourself and shake a stranger’s hand without the assurance of a sale?  And you had to do this 200 times a day?  Insane.

But it worked.  Most of the other SA’s resisted initially because they were stuck to the routine.  Leadership through production.  Soon enough everyone noticing the health benefits the new practice brought to their sales commissions followed suit. 

The practice was quite simple but reflected two basic truths:

1.)    People naturally have the need to be recognized:  Ever heard of the phrase “Do you know who I am?”  Everyone literally feels they are someone or a part of something.  We can’t help it, so we feel the need to feed our egos with recognition.  Or someone else has to do it for us.

2.)     Customers are not consumers:  A consumer is nothing more than a statistic in economic studies while a customer is a living, breathing human being.  Don’t treat them like another number in the head counter.

Let me ask you a question:  does your level of customer service increase in direct proportion to your product’s price?  If your answer is yes, then you’ve got a serious problem. 

DO NOT GREET YOUR CUSTOMERS. 

Engage them.  Welcome them as if they were long lost friends visiting your house. 

Why do top-notch, highly paid Account Managers spend a lot on suits, shoes and gadgets then go to great lengths (and expenses) to land that sale?  Why do you think they hire personality development consultants to learn how to carry themselves well?  It’s because they understand that small window of the customer’s attention during the initial contact is the most important.  Unfortunately, they miss out on one crucial thing that does not fade:  It’s old fashioned sincerity and accessibility.

Does our philosophy have to change with regards to price?

Does it seem like a lot of work?  Not really, unless your company culture permits it. 

The excellent companies have two common traits:  They achieve extraordinary results from ordinary people, and they are passionately close to their customers. 

If you still don’t believe me that going a bit further leads to lasting results, I suggest you to watch this video of an ordinary security guard who redefined customer experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFmbxRIdHzs