Customer Service

One thing I do pretty well is figuring out what a customer wants or needs and sets them up with it. Or, I try and solve a problem that a customer might have. I was very good in steering a person into buying something that they had not intended to buy. That is why my luggage business was so good. People trusted me, and I tried to be honest with them. I didn't blow people off. If I could help them, I would, as long as it also helped the company.

Case in point--a person would come into luggage, because they saw a five-piece set for $99 advertised in the paper. The set was what I used to refer to as "car luggage". It was okay to take with you to the beach, but don't fly with it, because it would tear up. So, the first words out of my mouth were "flying or driving?". If they said "flying", then that would eliminate an entire category of luggage, usually the one-price sets. And then, I would show them the good stuff. Start expensive and come down. Were they flying domestic or international? Were they using connecting flights? Were they going to be on tour or business? So many factors entered into our conversation. I knew my product, and I could sense my customer. I was always honest with them, even at the expense of making the sale, because I knew they would respect me more. That was my customer service.

There is not many of us. I was reminded of this from yesterday. I went into a store with the need to speak with a manager about a benefits issue. I found an employee who didn't look like she was doing anything, and I told her what I needed. She picked up the phone and called someone. Sor far so good, except she tells the person on the other end, "How do I tell him that?". She was told to call another number who was the HR person, and she said for me to call an 800 number, because they didn't do what I needed in the store. Okay, but why did she tell this associate to tell me? Why couldn't she had done it? She was in her office, because the associate caller her office, and she picked up the phone. Are managers so isolated that they don't want to help people? When I was a manager, I told my people to get me, if there was a problem. Don't try and fix it themselves. Although, I trusted a few of my associates to make a good decision.

Yesterday, the Human Resources person wasn't very human. I hope that doesn't start a trend.