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>> General Interest >> Why Am I always In the Wrong Line?
There must be a talent in choosing the wrong line in a store. I don't have many talents, but that seems to be one of my best. Have you ever been in that situation?
You are pressed for time. You are hurrying home from somewhere and you need to stop and pick up a few "essentials".
You scope out the parking lot and dare the person coming down your aisle in the parking lot to take "your" space. You fly into the parking space, slam the car door and avoid the look of disgust on the persons' face that you stole the parking place from. Have you ever said to yourself, "Oh, they'll never recognize me when I am out of the car?" Guess what, they do!
Upon entering the store you know exactly what you need and you don't even need one of those cute little baskets to carry it in. You breeze through the aisles and round the corner to the checkout lanes.
There they stand. Ten customers deep in each line and only two lanes open. One of the lanes has their light flashing as they are waiting for a price check. The other lane has a brand new employee who has to get an approval for a void from the manager. Void, in retail jargon, is just another nice word for MISTAKE. Your body immediately comes to a halt, as you are captive in this line.
Thoughts go through my head at this point. I could just LEAVE these items right here on one of these shelves and walk right out the door. Who will notice the ice cream melting all over the candy and magazine aisle? Better yet, I start looking for a manager who will take care of the situation by getting on the intercom and announcing, "all cashiers to the front lines". I have come to the conclusion that cashiers and teenagers have a lot in common. They have marvelous selective hearing. Which means that it would be a cold day in you know where before you'd see another cashier.
As I am held captive in this line, I start to look at my watch. I breathe heavier. I shuffle my feet so that the store employees notice they are wasting my time. I even start to read the headlines on the tabloids for lack of anything else to do. Usually at this point I analyze all of the "impulse items" at the check out. It is amazing the selection of merchandise that is on display! Phone cards, batteries, nail clippers, chocolate, VHS tapes, breath mints and an assortment of old holiday candy no one wanted when it was fresh.
By the time it is my turn, I am too tired and frustrated to be personable. The sales associate looks just as tired and neither of us really cares about being sociable.
My goal is to get my items and get out as quickly as I can, hearing those cherubic words; "have a nice day!"
We all have busy lives. We all get frustrated when we deal with businesses that quite frankly, waste our time. The X and Y generations have taught us how to expect things quickly. These two generations have learned that you can watch a video in your van, go through a drive through laundry, talk on your cell phone and take bites of your fast food dinner and never miss a beat. It is definitely a "hurry-up" world.
Efficient business, however, is critical. Customers are weighing the importance of customer service and efficient business. They do it every day and here are the four ways they will decide if you get their business.
1. Efficient handling of questions: Are your employees trained to be able to handle questions on their own and in a professional way? Do they get to the point, satisfy the customer and represent the company in a positive light?
2. Efficient handling of the sale: Are your employees trained sufficiently before they are allowed to handle sales on their own? They should never tell a customer, "this is my first day and I don't know how to do that".
3. Efficient handling of a problem: Do you allow your employees to "role play" situations that will come up with customers? When can they make decisions on their own and when do they need to call a manager? If they call a manager, is there a chance that the manager will over-ride the sales associates' decision, thus making them look foolish?
4. Efficient handling of their job: Do your employees know exactly what is expected of them, every day, all the time? If the storeowner or president walked in unexpectedly, would you be proud or disappointed in your employees job skills. Do they have the tools, knowledge and manpower to offer customers an efficient shopping experience?
Sometimes businesses try to do too much, grow too fast, all with too few experienced employees. Chapter 11 is written all over them.
Just recently I read that when the airlines cut back on flights this past year, ironically more of them were on time, less luggage was lost and customer service improved. They were able to improve their performance because they were able to focus on being more efficient.
Now there is something I might be willing to stand in line for!
Anne M. Obarski is the "Eye on Retail Performance". She is an author, professional speaker, retail consultant, and Executive Director of Merchandise Concepts. Anne presents keynotes, seminars and workshops nationwide. She works with companies who are performance, profit and people focused and helps leaders see their businesses through their customers' eyes. Anne's mystery shoppers have secretly "snooped" over 2000 stores searching for excellence in customer service. Reach Anne at http://www.merchandiseconcepts.com or mailto:anne@merchandiseconcepts.com
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