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Take the time to train all employees to say “please”, “thank you”, “excuse me” and “you are welcome”. Talk about it and hold training sessions. Make your employees practice it so it is not foreign to them. Make it easy for your employees to say to all your customers and clients. Tell customers you appreciate them and make them want to return to your business.
Simple examples of courtesy that will pay off:
- Once a cashier has handed the customer the correct change, the employee says, “Thank you.”
- While passing closely in an aisle, reaching over a customer on a shelf or walking by a customer in a crowded store aisle, your employee genuinely smiles and says, “Please excuse me”.
- When a customer leaves the parking lot of the store where he just shopped, he passes a lot attendant who nods and says, “Thank you for coming.”
- When a customer exits a store, a store employee notices him leaving and makes sure to hold the door open as he nods and says smiling, “Thank you for coming today.”
- When an employee sees a customer in any aisle looking for something longer than just a few seconds, the employee quickly and genuinely asks, “Is there anything I can help you with?”
- When a parking lot attendant sees a customer about to go towards the store, he offers a shopping cart to the visitor, nods and smiles.
- After ringing everything up on the cash register prior to totaling the bill, the cashier asks the customer politely, “Will that be everything today?”
- After handing the customer his change and the store receipt, the employee says, “Thank you for shopping at XXX today. We appreciate your business.”
- Have your CEO or president say, “Thank You” on the commercials, radio ads and newspaper advertisements that reach all your customers. Require him or her to be humble and visibly thankful for the business they bring, and invite comments and suggestions at any time.
Do these phrases sound familiar? They do if you frequent a store that cares for and caters to its customers. You recognize these phrases because all employees in that store have been rehearsed to say them. You as well as other loyal customers remember these experiences and begin to expect them everywhere you shop. Good manners spoil the clientele and heightens market competition.
