What Feelings Do You Give Your Customers?
My daughter and I were out Christmas shopping the other night. It was a fun-filled evening looking for special gifts for others (and of course a few things for ourselves)…and luckily, the mall wasn’t overly crowded but the stores were doing a brisk business. We always have fun shopping together, which isn’t the case with all moms and their sixteen-year-old daughters…I am blessed.
We took some time out to sit down for a quick snack and a cup of coffee. The coffee was extremely hot and we decided to take it with us so we didn’t waste too much of our shopping time.
We walked into a new store selling home accessories, carrying our packages and our coffees. Part way into the store, the owner, standing behind the counter, interrupted our conversation with a particularly loud, throat clearing sound. It definitely grabbed my attention, which was the intent. She gave us a stern reproving look, jabbed her finger at a small sign next to the cash register, and glared at us without saying a word. An employee standing off to the side giggled.
The sign read “no drinks or food allowed.” And to be honest, I had not given any thought to walking into a store with lid-covered coffee cups. My daughter and I were intent on our shopping and the thought never entered my mind.
Obviously, I was embarrassed. I felt like I had just been scolded by a grade school teacher in front of the class. I mumbled an apology, looked around and noted the store was empty of customers (no jostling to be concerned about), and the two of us beat a hasty retreat.
As we walked down the hall I asked my daughter how she felt about our encounter. She thought the owner had been extremely rude. In fact, she said the owner could have offered us a place to set the coffee while we shopped, after all, it wasn’t like she was busy or anything.
Here’s a sixteen-year-old showing wisdom regarding customer service. It’s all about how you treat your customers – and my daughter gets it. If the woman had have gently told us their policy and suggested we set our coffees somewhere safe, we would have gladly obliged. However, with the way she made us feel, we won’t be back. Anyone who has been centred out in front of a classroom will understand my feelings.
So, what’s the feeling your customers leave with…will they return, or are they running scared?
We took some time out to sit down for a quick snack and a cup of coffee. The coffee was extremely hot and we decided to take it with us so we didn’t waste too much of our shopping time.
We walked into a new store selling home accessories, carrying our packages and our coffees. Part way into the store, the owner, standing behind the counter, interrupted our conversation with a particularly loud, throat clearing sound. It definitely grabbed my attention, which was the intent. She gave us a stern reproving look, jabbed her finger at a small sign next to the cash register, and glared at us without saying a word. An employee standing off to the side giggled.
The sign read “no drinks or food allowed.” And to be honest, I had not given any thought to walking into a store with lid-covered coffee cups. My daughter and I were intent on our shopping and the thought never entered my mind.
Obviously, I was embarrassed. I felt like I had just been scolded by a grade school teacher in front of the class. I mumbled an apology, looked around and noted the store was empty of customers (no jostling to be concerned about), and the two of us beat a hasty retreat.
As we walked down the hall I asked my daughter how she felt about our encounter. She thought the owner had been extremely rude. In fact, she said the owner could have offered us a place to set the coffee while we shopped, after all, it wasn’t like she was busy or anything.
Here’s a sixteen-year-old showing wisdom regarding customer service. It’s all about how you treat your customers – and my daughter gets it. If the woman had have gently told us their policy and suggested we set our coffees somewhere safe, we would have gladly obliged. However, with the way she made us feel, we won’t be back. Anyone who has been centred out in front of a classroom will understand my feelings.
So, what’s the feeling your customers leave with…will they return, or are they running scared?
posted by About Us | 12:16 PM
1 Comments:
Sue,
Great commentary and you're right, your daughter is very customer savvy. Too bad this proprietor didn't have enough desire to keep you in the store and offer a solution for both sides of the shopping dilemma. A nice opportunity to demonstrate a new tray or cart perhaps? It will be interesting to see how long the business will last.
Long live the shopper!
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