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Loading ...Customer service. We’ve all heard the need for it. We’ve all tried to manage it. We’ve all felt a lack of it.
America is hurting, stores are shuttering, consumers are wary. So can we finally put the words “customer service” out to pasture? And along with that the Disney-eque way of referring to customers as “guests?” They’re called customers because they buy things from us, not guests who come to tea and visit.
Can we agree that “customer service” has provided a sea of gray in a world that should be black and white?
The Golden Rule is the backbone of servicing a customer; it exists in many languages, cultures and religions. I think the Greek philosopher Thales said it best, “Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.”
Yet we retailers have kept doing it. Ignoring customers. Trying any of the hundreds of “tried and true ways to close the sale.” Dropped prices like some reality show contestant willing to do anything to win. Lied to them and underappreciated what it took for them to buy our wares.
That’s because we’ve had a movement called “customer service,” which has made many authors, trainers, speakers, consultants, and department heads well paid.
But in the end, results have gone down. Why is that?
Because we left the sale out of the service; that was the role of a merchant. The old time merchants were the ones who wanted all of your business and actively controlled the sale by being on the floor, engaging customers, talking-up their best finds and giving the orders, “No one leaves here without buying something.” That may seem pushy but we have swung to the opposite end.
Case in point, I called a specialty retailer’s order desk looking for a $200 specific item yesterday. Response, “Let me check. Nope don’t got it.” Silence. Someone else got the business by saying, “We can order it and you’ll have it tomorrow.” That’s not pushy, that’s selling.
“Customer Service” is not being left alone to browse, or being asked, “Debit or credit?,” or as we’re walking out the door, “Did you find everything ok?” No wonder self-serve checkouts are becoming so popular.
“Customer Service” is not propping up your crew by saying, “Oh, it’s not your fault, it’s the economy, that’s why no one’s buying.” When did you ever have a coach in sports give the team the loser’s limp? Exactly.
When I grew up in the sixties, you either won or lost a game. Simple. Now there are no winners or losers – “everyone’s a winner.” It’s what my buddy Nathan and I compared to Trophy Day at a ballpark the other day. Everyone who enters gets a trophy. Not because you deserve it, did anything special or competed – you showed up – BRAVO! “Customer service” training is many times “Trophy Day” at the mall.
If we taught selling was the important part of customer interaction, we’d be able to train an exceptional interaction.
Why? Because a sale is an act of completion. Customer service is an act.
In many cases customer service is an illusion higher-ups tell themselves they passionately support. But in reality they don’t devote the time or money to train it; especially in 2009.
I wrote the book on how to compete and it wasn’t through discounting or “customer service,” it was through selling. Yes, you’ll certainly have to fire more, hire more and train more; so what, get over it.
Instead of complaining about the state of the economy in general and retail in particular, go out on your sales floor and see the folly of your “customer service” program as employees text each other how bored they are.
If I can see it, why can’t you?
Count the number of customers an employee actually walks up to and the number of transactions. Then count the number of times an employee added one thing to the sale – I’ll bet it is zero.
Instead of looking to fancy studies and “best practices” of your competitors, why not look in the mirror and see the failure of buyers is often the failure of selling.
If we can admit that, we can truly get back to the role of a merchant: to sell the merch.
You Can Compete
Best-selling author and speaker Bob Phibbs has helped thousands of independent businesses compete by using his sales approach and not discounting. His Book, You Can Compete: Double Sales Without Discounting is the backbone of several companies training programs and teaches his methods for making over a business. You can download it now on Kindle from http://tinyurl.com/ovrqme. Download more free tips at www.retaildoc.com.
©Bob Phibbs 2009
