Meet and Greet: The Most Common Mistakes

The last thing you want is for your customers to get turned off in the first few moments of their interaction. Yet, it happens all the time. Someone makes a mistake at the start of the customer service transaction, and the customer simply chooses to take their business to someone else. At all costs, avoid these relationship-damaging mistakes:

Ignoring waiting customers: Sometimes you are too busy with current customers to be able to help a waiting customer immediately. Even in those situations, you should never ignore a waiting customer. Establish eye contact, give a wave, or say a word or two to let the customer know that you are aware of them and will get to them as soon as you can.

Getting distracted: It is easy to become distracted by other customers, other responsibilities, and the variety of activities involved in customer service. When customers see that you are distracted, they sense that they are not your first priority.

Answering questions or taking calls while assisting a customer: It is a challenge to make every customer feels equally valued, and some customers try to push their way to the head of the line. But don't let these customers overstep earlier customers. Instead, say a few friendly words to the individual to indicate that you will help them when you are finished serving the current customer.

Giving a bored, trite greeting: Put some energy into your greeting and come up with something more creative than, "May I help you?" Make it a personal challenge to say something specific to each customer. It will make the meet and greet portion of the sales process more interesting and rewarding.

Alex Zaborenko

Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming

www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com