Category: The More You Know Articles

5 Steps to Friendliness and Great Customer Service

1. Say Hello
2. Say Thank you
3. Look Them in the Eye
4. Smile
5. Go the Extra Mile

Friendliness doesn’t happen by accident. It is a conscious thought and action by one person to make someone else happy and pleased. It is a genuine acknowledgement that someone else is around you and is your way of showing your appreciation. It is taking the time to show someone that you care and that he or she is important to you. It is a welcome that reaches out and pulls the other person in. It is treating each and every person in a courteous and respectful manner. Friendliness comes from the inside of you, but is demonstrated by how you act toward others.

Friendliness may or may not be found in other companies, but it is critical that this company is known throughout the community as a welcoming and friendly place to shop. You make the difference in whether this is a fact or only a wish. Our customers observe in your actions and behaviors and determine whether to return again another day. Friendliness comes from the pride that you take in yourself, and the pleasure you get from serving the people around you.

The 5 Steps to Friendliness and Great Customer Service is an important part of meeting the expectations of our customers. Each step is explained and examples are given. This is not a complete list of everything that should be done, but illustrates a common sense approach to dealing with each and every person who comes into our store in the friendliest way possible. You make the difference in whether this is a fact or only a wish. People are aware of the way that you act and the actions you take. The 5 Steps to Friendliness and Great Customer Service outlines what the customer expects of us.

 

1. Say Hello
   • The most important impression is the first impression you make. When a customer or another associate approaches you, acknowledge them by saying hello.
   • Approach the customer first. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
   • “Good Morning”
   • “Good Afternoon”
   • “How are you?”
   • “Hi!”
   • “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
   • “Do you have everything you need?”

 

2. Say Thank-you
   • The last impression that someone retains comes from the last words that you say to him or her. Make the final words they hear a pleasant and cheerful thank you…. with an upbeat, positive sound in your voice. They will keep that last thought in their mind until the next time that they return.
   • “Thank you for shopping with us.”
   • “Have a nice day”
   • “Did you get everything you were looking for?”
   • “We appreciate you doing business with us. I look forward to seeing you again.”

 

3. Look Them In The Eye
   • Keeping eye contact with the person in front of you is a critical way that people judge whether you are sincere or just saying the words but don’t really mean them. Look each person clearly in the eye and acknowledge their presence… demonstrate that you recognize that they want something from you.
   • This is all about body language. This should be approached as if you are greeting a friend. You should present an open and welcoming movement; with your head directly facing the person.
   • It is important to make some positive movement to acknowledge that you see them. Then and only then do they really know that you are paying attention.
   • The right body language informs the person that they are not a distraction but that you are pleased to see them.
   • Pay attention; Listen to what they say. Don’t Interrupt
   • Discover their needs, fill them, and exceed them.

 

4. Smile
   • A smile is contagious. It spreads good feelings and encourages a positive and cheerful atmosphere.
   • The smile is more than a curl of the lip and showing your teeth. The entire face lights up and becomes a part of a genuine smile. There seems to be a sparkle in the eye and the entire demeanor of the person changes.
   • If the customer is confused, a smile begins the process of bringing clarity.
   • If the customer is angry, a smile begins to calm them down so that you can take care of the issue.
   • If the person needs your help in any other way, a smile indicates that they are dealing with a friend who wants to make things better.
   • So Smile and make them welcome. Would you really want to talk to a person who doesn’t want to talk to you?

 

5. Go the Extra Mile
   • Customers are not dependent on us; we are dependent on them. Take the time to make them happy.
   • Find a way to provide just a little bit extra service – to make a difference
   • Speak clearly. Never eat, drink, chew gum, or smoke while on the job.
   • Take the extra time to help them find the item they are looking for.
   • Deliver a little bit more than they wanted.
   • Help them when they are lost
   • Help them with the paperwork related to their orders
   • Find ways to make it easy for them to do business with us
   • Solve the problem – don’t wait for someone else to do it.
   • Deliver a product or service that they forgot to order
   • Read a label or a sign if they can’t read the small print
   • Clarify the rules
   • Answer the questions like it is the first time even if they asked it 10 times before
   • Help them understand how the system works
   • Show them to the shortest way to get their products or services delivered
   • Go to whomever you have to make it happen for the customer
   • Do whatever it takes to keep yourself, your customers, and associates safe from accidents and injury. Pick it up; don’t pass it up…. Papers, trash, products, food, ladders, equipment and anything else that is not where it belongs.
   • Know your company and the products and services you sell.
   • Find a way to turn each small interaction with a customer into a great example of friendly customer service.

 

Do each of the steps in the 5 Steps to Friendliness and Great Customer Service with everyone that you meet every time. This is true for each of our customers and each employee in the store. A great company will come from doing the right things over and over again.

Learn the 5 Steps. Live the 5 Steps. Our customers will appreciate it by visiting us again. This company will be a nicer place for everyone to work.

5 Steps to Friendliness and Great Customer Service

1. 1. 1. Say Hello
      2. Say Thank you
      3. Look Them in the Eye
      4. Smile
      5. Go the Extra Mile

 

1.     Be aware of what is around you and your surroundings.	People can be a threat to your personal safety. Some people may have violent intentions. Don’t take risks when it comes to your personal security and the security of the people around you. Someone could be approaching you from behind. Stay alert and aware. Be prepared for your own self-protection.
2.     Keep your doors locked.	If you are in the truck, keep your doors locked to prevent any unwanted entrance by unauthorized individuals.
3.     Keep control of your keys	Don’t let anyone have the keys to your truck. Don’t leave the truck unattended with the keys in the ignition.
4.     Do not engage in any violent or aggressive behavior towards any one even if you are provoked.	Respect the personal space of the people you meet. Do not start a conflict. Keep calm and steady. Deescalate any impending situation. Slow everything down so you can retreat and recover.
5.     Take a lot of pictures.	Take pictures both inside and outside the vehicle. Secure the personal property of the customer.
6.     Keep your cell phone with you always.	If you are confronted or need to call for assistance, you must have your phone within immediate access.
7.     Plan for your escape and exit	Don’t get yourself cornered where there is no escape. Know how you will retreat from any potentially violent situation.
8.     Pay attention to your security and come back safe.	Better be secure and safe than sorry. If you are not quite sure, ask questions; Find out what you should do before you do it. No matter what, don’t get hurt. If you are in doubt, double-check it to be sure. Safety and Security First! All the Time!

Principles of proper delegation

1. Establish the responsibility
   • Make sure it has a proper description of both the tasks required and the behaviors needed to do the project or job successfully.
2. Establish the appropriate authority level
   • 1^st level is “Do it. Don’t tell me.”
     1. For example, “You can spend under $50 and, as long as you remain within your total budget level, you do not need to tell me you spent the money.”
   • 2^nd level is “Do it. Tell me after you spend it.”
     1. For example, “You can spend between $51 and $100 but I want you to let me know you spent the money.”
   • 3^rd level is “You are not authorized to make that decision until you consult with me first.”
     1. For example, “If you want to spend more than $101 dollars you must come to me; outline the amount you want to spend; what you want to spend it on; and why it is important to spend the money now.”

3. Once you have done steps one and two and it is clear to everyone, then you can hold that person accountable for their results.

One of the big problems is many managerial / employee conflicts is that someone is given the responsibility for doing something, held accountable for the achievement, but they never know whether they can proceed on their own or have to constantly check in for permission. When they proceed, they are told they should have checked in. When they hesitate, they are told they should have moved faster and gotten things done.  The parameters have not been properly set at the beginning and so only “20/20” hindsight provides the answer and then it is too late.  It leads to frustration and dysfunction throughout the organization.

The Human Resource department is the backbone of any organization. Being an HR professional means understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a company better than anyone else and striving to fill these gaps. But oftentimes, it is hard to find the right people to fill those voids.

It is like a massive jigsaw puzzle, of sorts, with the HR department busy fitting it with the correct pieces. Mismatched hiring can lead to the loss of money and manpower both.

Wrong hiring leads to an average loss of $4,129 per job in the United States alone.

To err is human, to forgive divine, but seeing the hefty cost of hiring an ill-fit professional makes it tough to take the divine stance. It is estimated that a wrong hire can cost you 2.5 times the salary.

Forty-one percent of businesses say the cost of a bad hire is about $25,000. It is a substantial hit that many small businesses cannot afford, which is why 50% of small business owners report that hiring a new person is their biggest challenge.

Since a majority of them are just starting out, they sometimes compromise on getting the right skills or experience for the job due to many constraints.

Small business owners hire just out-of-school graduates or people willing to work at much lower rates. What they don’t realize is how much this gamble costs in the longer run.

Bad hire brings down your productivity astronomically and creates a work environment that does not reflect your company values. It has been observed that 80% of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions and over 39% of businesses report a deep decline in productivity due to the same.

The process of hiring itself has undergone a stark change. We have moved from newspaper ads and interviews to online application submissions and Application Tracking Software (ATS), which screens candidates by filtering through hundreds of applications looking for relevant keywords.

Only the ones that pass the keyword hunt are forwarded to hiring managers. This process has its own pitfalls as a lot of people tend to lie and manipulate their resumes – so they can get jobs.

With the Pandemic changing how we work, one of the biggest challenges faced by employers is hiring the right people remotely. Once hired, the distance makes the task of effective virtual onboarding difficult.

There are issues with clarity of the role, challenges meeting the new company’s goals and expectations, handling matters of change, and personal transition.