Out of my normal routine I came in later in the day once last week as I was picking up a pick-me-up for myself and a friend who was heading over to help me clean my apartment. Earlier in the day she had texted me the complex combination of ingredients included in her order that I had to make sure to get it right since she was lactose intolerant, allergic and on a diet. However a lengthy dialog occurred after the initial message which presented a problem forcing me to frantically scroll through my Blackberry while I waited in line.
When I got to the counter I was still trying to find the text. I knew the guy working the register by name and apologized that I was fumbling with my phone. I explained what I was looking for and that I wasn’t trying to be rude by messaging or making a call. He stopped in his tracks and shook his head laughing. “You would not believe how many people do that and how irritating it is,” he told me.
Who knows, maybe one day I might want to work at that coffee shop and the guy I consistently ignore is the one that is going to decide to hire me or not. Not to mention who else might be standing in line and inconvenienced by my inconsiderate actions. The person behind me could be the interviewer I’m about to meet. Whether I’m a customer or the one behind the counter my focus needs to be on the face to face contact.
Just like if I’m placing an order, if I’m assisting a client and the store phone rings I need to keep the call as brief as possible, taking a message if necessary. I know it’s tough to put down the phone when you don’t want to be rude to a potential proprietor. There’s added pressure to give your full attention to customers on the phone if your company uses mystery calls instead of mystery shoppers. The truth is the whole point of schmoozing a customer on the phone is to get them into the store when you already have a patron waiting for your attention.
I always thought it was common sense to pay attention to the person that’s in front of you. In the words of Crosby, Stills and Nash, “Love the one you’re with.”
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By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for RetailGigsBlog.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company, Creative Kazoo with fellow Nexxt blogger, Staci Dennis. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.
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