About the time stores were starting to re-open after being locked down during the coronavirus, my wife wanted to visit a dress shop of a large corporate organization.
We walked in the door (with our masks on, of course) and told them we had a return. My wife wanted to look at a few other items while she was there.
What amazed me was that none of the clerks talked to us. We were the only customers in the store and the team members just let us roam around the store .
There was no music (which they usually play) and they weren’t even having cheerful conversation between themselves (as they usually do). It felt like we were at a wake in a funeral home.
They took the item my wife wanted to return and completed the transaction. Still no conversation. We walked out.
A few weeks later we went to another location of their organization in a neighboring town. The people greeted us as we came into the store, asked if they could help us and told us about the sales going on. It was like night and day! They also told us how happy they were to see us.
What was the difference? I figured it out. At the first store we went to, the manager was not there. The clerks were not very motivated. At the second location, the manager was present. She told me she had been there almost every day to make sure things were handled well.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
- Which organization would you want to go back to?
- Is your organization one that people frequent and love to visit?
- What do you do to create a conducive environment to doing business?
- Even if you’re busy, do you take the time to welcome guests and thank them for coming in— especially after a pandemic?
- Do you do Morning Huddles to motivate you entire team and make them glad to work there and serve their customers?
