'I am not going to patronize your store anymore, you sell inferior items. You are fake'.
She said all this at the top of her voice, visibly upset.
'I bought expired yoghurt here. It landed my kids in the hospital for food poisoning'.
One lady glanced around furtively and returned the yoghurt she had just picked.
I demand a full refund and I will tell everyone I know not to patronize you guys anymore. You are a bunch of fake ass people.
Other customers looked on, uncomfortable with the scene unfolding.
One of the staff approached her, wary and standing far off,
One of the staff approached her, wary and standing far off,
'We are sorry Madam, I have gone to call the manager, he will sort this out' Sorry Ma'.
He moved away quickly.
He moved away quickly.
I knew then that if care wasn't taken, this situation would get out of hand. I also came to shop but the store had a good reputation and would not knowingly stock expired items. They were known for having variety and good items.
She was fuming quietly, tapping her feet on the ground, muttering to herself.
I approached her quietly,
She was fuming quietly, tapping her feet on the ground, muttering to herself.
I approached her quietly,
'Madam so sorry about the incidence with the yoghurt. That must have been quite tough. I understand how you feel right now, I have kids too and I would be really upset if something I gave them to eat or drink landed them in the hospital'
At this point she broke down crying, holding on to me,
'I feel so guilty, and angry, what if it was worse than that? How would I be able to live with myself.'
'So sorry Ma I can imagine how you feel. Let's Thank God they are well'.
'Thank you so much, Ma. Are you the manager?'
'No I am not, i noticed how upset you were and I saw they werent handling the situation well.' They usually have good products here and so I am surprised at this'
'So sorry Ma I can imagine how you feel. Let's Thank God they are well'.
'Thank you so much, Ma. Are you the manager?'
'No I am not, i noticed how upset you were and I saw they werent handling the situation well.' They usually have good products here and so I am surprised at this'
By now the manager had come around, apologising profusely promising heaven and earth. Lol.
It was the aggrieved lady now telling him to calm down.
It was the aggrieved lady now telling him to calm down.
As you interact with your customers, one of the skills you cant go wrong with is 'Empathy'. The ability to empathise will take your interaction with the customer from 0 -100 in a blink.
I will be sharing more tips in a very relatable manner. I would love for you to share with your circle, leave your comments and subscribe so you see my posts as it publishes.
You are right you can't go wrong with showing empathy, how I use to tell a friend this. But then there are some customer that empathy will not move them. Take for example, in the hospitality industry let's say the food was contaminated, or not properly cooked don't get me wrong this restaurant is one of the best, although you know this particular guest is full of trouble how do you calm such people?
ReplyDeleteEmpathy is still the way to go but empathy isn't the be-all end-all of the matter. As a goods or service provider you must also take responsibility for your failings. Make refunds, offer replacements, offer discounts. Empathy is the place to start but customers must also see you putting your money where your mouth is. It's about building relationships that will lead to a profitable
Deletefuture with that customer. Profitable for both you and your customer.
Thank you for the Feedback Alex. You hit the nail on the head.
DeleteTake responsibility, apologise and make immediate amends. Be careful not to make promises you cannot keep.
DeleteEmpathy definitely works most of the time. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback Seun.
DeleteGreat storytelling, Temilade. I learnt about the power of reactions. Hoping that you'll write something about the customer that may not come back after a bad service. This is where I belong many times🙈
ReplyDeleteThank you Morayo. I definitely will. Good service is what actually makes the difference and most people don't know. We all tend to gravitate to that vendor or store where their attendants are smiling, where we are attended to promptly, all of these make up good customer service and it makes all the differnece.
Delete