“I’m sorry, am I interrupting you”
I walked into a local convenience store today to buy a newspaper. As I entered the store a woman walked briskly past me exiting with her purchases, looking slightly perturbed. While I scanned the store for the newspaper display I heard the clerk’s phone conversation and realized it had been ongoing since I walked in. I wondered if this is what made the woman upset.
“Couldn’t be…the clerk would have the common courtesy to stop his phone conversation to help her” I thought to myself.
It turns out I was wrong. I walked up to the counter with my newspaper and the clerk scanned the paper, took my money, made change, and handed it to me all while cradling the phone in the crook of his neck and never missing one beat in the conversation. For a moment I was impressed with his multi-tasking ability, but those thoughts were fleeting.
“I can’t believe he didn’t stop what he was doing to help me, possibly say Hi or
Good Morning, and thank me for my purchase” I thought aloud as I hopped into my truck.
I acknowledge that in the grand scheme of things, my .75 cent purchase doesn’t amount to much. But couple my purchase with that of several other disgruntled customers who spent more and who will not shop at that store again and multiply that by 52 weeks…the loss could be staggering. All because someone couldn’t take the time to say “Hi” and “Thanks for coming in today”.
This is a good example that can be applied across any industry and any business, no matter what the size. Simple, pleasant greetings go a long way in relationships with customers. Every customer wants to feel as though they are valued…that their business matters…that they matter. I truly believe that is the best way to earn repeat business.
“Thank you for reading”
Kris McElroy
Manheim New England
