While wandering in and out of stores in New Orleans last week I became aware of the strikingly different attitudes retail employees present to customers. In just one hour I was treated so differently I started to develop a personality complex.
Some retail associates treated me like a complete stranger, doing every thing possible to avoid eye contact. It was almost like we were meeting in some dark alley, not a well-lit mall surrounded by people. At least when our eyes did (accidentally) meet they smiled and then went about their business. I followed their lead, left their store and went about my business, too.
Other store employees treated me like a superhero - if the superhero was Invisible Man. I'm not complaining because at least they weren't avoiding me and I could see they were extremely busy. Busy playing solitaire, updating Facebook or checking phone messages. I didn't want to interrupt them so I disappeared from the store, which is easy to do when you're Invisible Man.
I'm happy to say that some associates treated me like a visitor. They acknowledged me when I walked in to the store and politely offered their assistance if I needed any. I appreciated their attention but because I didn't need anything I didn't buy anything. It was a nice visit, though.
In two stores it was much different. I wasn't a stranger, I wasn't Invisible Man, and I wasn't a visitor. Instead, I was a new friend. In both of these stores I felt like those salespeople were glad to see me. They were happy, smiling, and inquisitive. As friends do, they asked where I had been, where I was from, and if I was enjoying New Orleans. Never once did they ask to help me.
One woman was so friendly she wanted to know if I was visiting with family or not. When I told her that I was traveling alone, on business, she inquired about my children. And being such a good friend, she pointed out some nice Mardi Gras beads she thought my children would like. I have no idea how she knew my daughter's favorite colors are red and blue, but then again she was my new friend.
She was also kind enough to sell me some of those famous New Orleans pralines, and she suggested a couple of other things that I declined since I didn't have much room in my luggage. While it was only about a $15 sale, it was a sale that my new friend created. And if she treated every customer like a new friend I can't imagine how much those $15 sales added up to.
I'm sure you don't treat your customers like a stranger or Invisible Man/Woman. So let me ask, do you treat your customers like a visitor or a new friend? I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of making friends.
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