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Isn't That What Customer Service is All About?
Last week I went to a local pharmacy to have a prescription
filled. As I approached the prescription counter I noticed a
sign beside the cash register that said, " Let's Talk."
Considering it an invitation I said in a friendly, cheery voice,
" OK let's talk." and proceeded to say " How are you today?" The
woman waiting on me was not amused. She looked at me in frigid,
non-responsive silence and finally said cooly, " Can I help
you?"
It didn't take a degree in nuclear physics to figure out that
she was totally ignoring my humble attempt to be friendly so I
too immediately responded to her icy tone with one of my own. I
gave her the information regarding my prescription and was told
curtly that I was at the wrong counter. I was at the
"PRESCRIPTION OUT" counter when I should be at the "
PRESCRIPTION IN " counter. How silly of me to make such a
mistake. Maybe that's why she was so unfriendly to me. I had
committed a huge unforgivable sin in Pharmacy Land.
As I approached the proper counter I once again saw the sign, "
Let's Talk." and decided to give the place a second chance. I
looked at the lady waiting on me and said once again in an
upbeat and friendly tone, " The other woman who waited on me
wasn't really in the mood to talk so I came down here. So "Let's
talk."
Again stone cold, icy silence followed
by " Can I help you?" If
you can't beat them, join them so I too became cool, abrupt,
assertive and said, " Mike Moore/ Doctor Quinn/ asthma
medication/ repeat required please. She checked the computer and
found that I did have 4 repeats left. I told her that I would be
in at 10:00 a.m. the next day to pick it up and I left. I know I
shouldn't have responded in kind but I was ticked off at the way
a paying customer was being treated.
I wanted to hand the woman my card and tell her that I spoke to
companies and organizations on customer relations and would be
more that happy to conduct a seminar for their employees on the
topic. But I didn't.
I'm not saying that dealing with the public is easy. It isn't.
In fact it can be very stressful but you can neutralize the
stress with a simple smile and a bit of humor. All these people
needed to do when I responded to their invitation to talk was
smile and say in a friendly tone, "OK. Let's talk. What can I do
for you?"
Simple, easy, effective and it leaves your customer wanting to
return to do business with you. Isn't that what customer service
is all about?
About the author:
Mike Moore is a speaker/humorist who speaks on " Humor and
Stress" Humor in the Workplace" and "Customer Relations"
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?motplusarticles
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