Let’s talk about who the boss is. I’m not your boss, Uncle Ray’s not your boss, Todd’s not your boss. The customer is your boss. It’s customer who bought the clothes that I’m wearing … the little car that I drive, the customer bought it … the home that I have, the customer bought that. Remember we have to take care of the customer.
Why We’re Here
Let’s talk about why we are here. We’re here to take care of the customer. The customer’s expectations are way up high. We’ve been here going on 40 years and they expect great products, great service. There’s hardly a time when I go into the grocery store and somebody comes up to me and says, “Dave, your people sure know how to take care of us when we come there. They’re always so nice.” Well, that’s by design. You guys are already nice. Now we’ve got a special script that we’re going to teach. We’re going to tell you how to interact with the customers. Be sure to have a good time when we interact with the customers.
Bottom line, the CUSTOMER is our ONLY reason for being here. Knowing that the customer is always the customer (not the problem, the enemy, or the bane of your existence) helps focus your effort where it belongs – on KEEPING the customer.
The GOAL of EVERY service transaction is, and MUST BE, to SATISFY and DELIGHT customers in ways that will keep them coming back for more and more and more. As our service professional, YOU hold the power to make that happen. To do it, YOU need to act smart. You need to know more than your customer does about the products we sell. You need to be SENSITIVE to the fact that customers, like yourself, are only human, with human faults and feelings. When customers are wrong, your role is to use your skills to help make them RIGHT, in a manner that neither embarrasses nor blames.
The Customer is Always … the Customer
OUR POLICY:
Rule 1: The customer is always right.
Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, reread Rule 1. The customer is not always right. You know it. We knew it. Many times when customers cause problems- or believe untrue things- it’s because we haven’t taught them differently. We are so familiar with the products we sell that we forget how much there is to know, how much we have to help our customers learn. (Not only can our menu be confusing, how about the first time customer that finds out they can have their “TURTLE” made three different ways- Soft-serve, Uncle Ray’s or Frozen Yogurt.) And after it’s been made, they really wanted a “Turtle Blast!” Your job is to manage the encounter so the customer continues to be a customer.
How to Make Your Customers Right
Look for Teaching Opportunities
Your customer orders a “Vanilla twist or a chocolate twist, or how about a swirl. Take this chance to explain we have vanilla, chocolate, or a twist combination. Point to our menu board outside where our flavors are located. Make sure they get it now. *TIP: You can’t educate the irate. (But really, there are NO irate customers. Customers become irate ONLY if YOU allow them to become irate! They don’t come here irate. Remember even the smallest detail can set some people right off.) While they are stressed and angry, customers do not take kindly to reeducation- If you say, “You know, you could have avoided all this if you’d just remembered to order this sundae exactly the way you wanted it. That can make them irate. Choosing to educate at the wrong moment is a sure way to add to the customer’s upset. Instead say, “I’m SORRY, sir. THAT’S NO PROBLEM. I’LL CORRECT THAT RIGHT AWAY.
Believe Your Customer
Sometimes, the customer you initially think is 100 wrong will turn out to be right after all. If you’ve ridden roughshod over their request or complaint, you will have accomplished nothing. The point of Knock Your Socks Off Service is to keep your customer relationship intact and NOT offend someone over a 99 cent ice cream cone. WHEN IN DOUBT, give your customer the BENEFIT of the doubt.
EXAMPLE – Sometimes customers will point out an error in a price on the menu. You say, “Thanks for pointing that out to me. I’ll be sure to get that corrected.” Don’t fix blame. Fix the problem.
Find a Way to Say “Yes”!
When you’re just starting your job, not knowing all the rules is natural! In fact, not knowing and finding out for yourself, and for the customer, is one of the best ways to learn on the job. Instead of assuming there must be a rule that will make you say “no”, find out how to say “YES!” Think about how aggravated a customer would feel in this case. A customer says, “I’d like an extra small Turtle sundae, but I don’t see it on your menu.” The cashier says, “It’s not. “ Customer replies, “But it’s what I’d really like to have. Can you make it?”
Silence. Then again, “Well it’s not on the menu.” Needless to say which ice cream store do you think this customer will tell everyone to avoid?
Special requests are NO PROBLEM. If they can describe it, we can make it, of course. There isn’t anything we can’t make. If you aren’t sure how to do it, ask a more experienced co-worker.
Do the Right Thing
USE YOUR GOOD JUDGEMENT IN ALL SITUATIONS. “THERE WILL BE NO ADDITIONAL RULES.”
This doesn’t mean there’s no direction, but use your managers for support when you’re not sure what to do. In other words, please feel free to ask your manager ANY question at ANY time. Are you going to give away the store? Of course not. When you feel uncertain about the idea of “Do the right thing,” remember, the point of Uncle Ray’s Knock Your Socks Off Service is to DELIGHT your customer. That makes customers come back again and again and again. That makes more money for the store and for wages we can pay YOU.