I found the item I needed at a store recently, but I left without it.
I had wandered the aisles of a large discount store for several minutes before finally finding the plastic mesh sheets that I needed. The instruction sheet for a purse I was making called for one sheet to reinforce the bottom, but I had found a package of six sheets lying out of place on a shelf. In the next row I found the place where the six packs were displayed, and across the aisle a clerk was placing other items on a shelf.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Do you have these in single sheets?”
With barely a glance at me, she replied “I don’t even know what that is. I’m shelving these.” And she turned her back to me. I set the package down and walked out of the store.
I don’t expect a clerk to know everything about the tens of thousands of items on the shelves, and it’s OK if you don’t know something at work. But when a customer asks you a question, say more than “I don’t know.”
Whether your customer is someone buying your products or services or someone in another department that your team supports, show care and initiative. Say something like this:
- “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
- “I don’t know, but I’ll find someone who can help us.”
- “I don’t know, but I’ll be happy to work with you to figure it out.”
When you are talking with a customer, “I don’t know” is never enough.
Be sure your customer service reps read “5 things you shouldn’t say to customers” and “5 (more) things you shouldn’t say to customers.” Develop your reps’ skills with the First-Rate Customer Service Training Kit.
[Image Source: Betsssssy]
