Here's a story that I think you'll appreciate. The other morning I dashed into my local grocery store to pick up a few items. While waiting in line I couldn't help but notice that the woman bagging the groceries wasn't doing her job as quickly as I wanted her to and (in my opinion) was perhaps a bit too talkative.
My
incipient annoyance turned to a smile as I watched her work. She was
amazing. No she didn't speed up by any means, and as a matter of fact
she might even have slowed down. What she did spectacularly well was
make a personal connection with every customer.
The customer ahead of me was a paramedic from the firehouse across the street. As she bagged his groceries the cashier talked with him about the dangers of heat stroke. I'm not sure how the topic came up since it wasn't a hot day but she did seem to be passionate about the topic. As he started to leave she smiled and told him to enjoy his steak tips. He smiled back and said, "thank you."
When it was my turn to check out I realized I was looking forward to talking with her. She said hello and immediately picked up on my Black Dog shirt from Martha's Vineyard. She started telling me about the "fabulous trip" she once took to Martha's Vineyard and asked if I liked it. We chatted about Martha's Vineyard and the cereal I was buying. When the transaction was completed she handed me my groceries and with a big smile said thank you and wished me a good day. I walked out the door smiling and thinking about what a good day I was going to have.
I believe this young woman gave some of the best customer service I've had in a long, long time. She greeted me, she engaged me in conversation, she connected me with the products I was buying, she completed her task efficiently, she smiled, she was personable, she said thank you, and I believe she really wanted me to have a good day. How fabulous!
This woman is not a member of management and she never will be. She is, I suspect, as high on the company ladder as she is going to get. She is one of the several developmentally disabled persons employed by this supermarket. I'm sure that because of her disabilities she is probably limited in the types of jobs open to her. Luckily for me, she picked this one.
She reminded me that delivering an outstanding customer experience is the result, first and foremost, of having a genuine interest in the people we meet. If we simply take time to connect one-on-one, for whatever brief time we have with our customer, it will almost always result in a good experience for both the customer and for us.
I believe that woman had a good day as a result of her ability to brighten the day of her customers. I know I did!
So let me ask, how have your days been lately?
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