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How do you greet your customers: Yo Dawg…Wassup?

SPEAKING OF SERVICE - by Jeff Kasper

“Yo, wassup?” Not necessarily the greeting you would expect from a syndicated columnist. You, the reader, after all, are my ultimate customer. Following the general rule that you must greet every customer, I’ve done my job.

My mother told me, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.” And, as simple as this statement is, it’s still true. Each time a customer sees one of your employees, based on how the customer is (or isn’t) acknowledged, is making a first impression.

Don’t hesitate to articulate your expectations to your employees. Write them down and review them regularly. If you didn’t effectively communicate the other expectations you have for your team, how many of them would be met? Customer service is no different. Without clear guidelines, individuals will fill in the gaps with what their own life experience dictates. This may be a great deal different than what you want your customers to experience.

During your employee meetings spend a few moments highlighting your “greeting superstars.” Give the specifics of what makes their greeting special. Talk about what they say, how they say it, and what their body language is telling their customers. Make sure everyone is engaged in the discussion. Those employees who are a little shy may need to be coached. Acknowledge that approaching customers can be scary for some people.

Reward employees who greet your customers by name. Make it fun. We have one client who was having trouble getting their employees to remember their customers’ names. The client established a recognition program where employees’ names were entered into a monthly drawing every time they used a customer’s name when they greeted them. One winner was chosen to receive a gift certificate to a local movie theatre. Who tracked performance and awarded the drawing entry slips? The employees did it themselves. They listened to their co-workers and awarded an entry slip whenever they heard another employee use a customer’s name. It was simple. It was downright cheap, costing less than $50 per month. Sales increased 25% — not a bad return on investment.

If you have a particularly outgoing employee, and you’re in a high transaction environment, consider having them be the official greeter for the day. Don’t put your greeter behind a podium or counter. It will only serve as a wall between you and your customers. If you have an employee who’s a little shy, pair them with their outgoing colleague to give them more experience and increase their comfort level greeting customers.

People like to do business with people they know and where they feel welcome. Make sure your making the best impression with your customers every time.

Jeff Kasper is the president & chief innovation officer of ServiceQuality.US, a customer loyalty, measurement, training and consulting firm, based in Concord, CA. Questions and comments can be sent to jk@servicequality.us or visit ©2008 Customer Loyalty Builders, Inc.

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