Customer Care Etiquettes

Had heard about a clothing store, in a small city, who's designs are world famous and the store boasted of its foreign clientele. So I trooped in with a business colleague, and I was able to suitably impress upon her, why we should buy from this particular store. On the small counter I placed a few outfits I wanted to purchase and as I was doing so, my associate too kept some on top of my pile for my approval. Amid this, she had placed 2 sets of bangles, which I didn't know of and as I was sorting out the final lot for purchase, the bangles came crashing down and one of them broke. What I didn't know was that they were of lac! Now here the real story on etiquette begins. Billing starts by the grumpy staff who only wanted us out as he kept constantly glancing at his watch telling us with his body language that he want-ed us out. Bill crosses more than a couple of thousands and to this gets added the broken bangles. I was quite stumped at that. The boy at the counter insists I pick up the tab as I 'broke' them. His choice of language included the mention of sentences like 'its your fault' while not once accepting the fact that while he did see my associate placing the bangles on the table, he did not even care to mention that they are breakable. Requests to speak with a decision maker were turned down by him, body language got worse and language more offensive. We wisely exited the store knowing fully well that it didn't make a difference to him about losing business at all.

Lesson to be learnt:

Advise your staff about what their body speaks to a customer and educate them on correct body language.

B             Empower them with common sense and a sense of responsibility for their own actions.

B             Teach them to know the difference between loss of business vs loss of good will.

B             Teach them that humility works miracles and they are not above a sorry either!