Turning Lions into Lambs

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

We both enjoyed the holidays with our families, but we were back in the stores on December 26th, observing one of every retailer's not-so-favorite holiday traditions: the dance of the customer return. So far every transaction we've witnessed has been fairly straight forward and simple. Of course, it's always helpful if the store's return policy is well-worded and posted in a visible spot at the checkout counter. And it's always a plus when and cashiers take a moment to explain it to customers during the original purchase.

But there will be times when you run into trouble.

It's important to remember that an angry customer may be reacting to what he or she imagines will happen when they present you with a problem. This is part of the emotional baggage every customer brings with them to your store. We’ve all faced snarling store associates who treat customers’ like the enemy – if a customer has had a bad experience in one of your competitor’s stores, it’s easy to see why they might think they will have a similar experience in yours.

That being said, if the customer is a complete jerk, do yourself a big favor and get him/her off of the sales floor and into an area where you can speak privately. If you stay on the sales floor, where other customers can watch, you’d better be prepared to deliver service perfection, because how you respond will be the topic of the day among customers and associates alike.

If the customer is abusive or is using foul language say, “Sir/Madame: I am going to help you, but I cannot help you if you continue to speak to me like that.” If the customer calms down, continue with the steps below to solve their problem. But if the customer continues to berate you, it is perfectly okay to say, “I really do want to help you but I need you to calm down. If you do so I can help you now, otherwise we will have to do this another time.” You can also try politely turning the customer over to another associate. Under “normal” circumstances the following five steps should do the trick:

1. Allow the customer to get the problem off of his/her chest.

2. Ask lots of questions to help determine what you should do next.

3. Ask the customer what they would like you to do for them.

4. Go a step further and “Do one more thing” for the customer.

5. Follow up to make sure the customer is satisfied.

There is more to these steps and we will be happy to e-mail you the complete article. We'll also send a copy of our "Save the Sale! Service Response" form as well to help you keep track of special customer requests and needs. E-mail us at info@kizerandbender.com