At one time or
another, we are all customers, and like to feel
appreciated … even valued. Remember how important you
felt the first time you visited someone's office, and
the person behind the desk called his secretary to
tell her to hold his phone calls while the two of you
were in the meeting?
The marketing
philosophy that says: "Hold my calls," establishes
that you are more important than anyone else. It says
you have the undivided attention of the other person.
It says you are a valued person, and we're here to
conduct important business.
On the other hand,
have you ever felt discounted and annoyed when you
were talking to someone only to be interrupted by a
phone call? What about being interrupted by three or
four phone calls? Do you begin to show your
frustration? Do you start to feel that you're really
unimportant in the eyes of the other person? Do you
feel denigrated? I do.
The person in front of
you is more important than the voice on the phone. I
say it should be simple, but in practice the person on
the phone, all too often, ranks above a real-live
person standing in front of you. That, my friend, is
wrong.
Over the years I've
experienced this annoying condition, but never gave it
too much thought. Then it came sharply into focus.
Just this morning, I
dropped my wife's car off for some routine
maintenance. The service manager was professional and
polite. I asked him about a rear window wind
deflector they advertised. According to the
literature, the deflector is supposed to help keep the
rear of the wagon cleaner. I live on a dirt road and
suffer a continuously dusty rear window on our wagon.
Even a light rain, when combined with the dust, all
but obliterates my rear vision.
Could I have the
dealership install the deflector? "You'll have to get
the part from the parts department," the service
manager told me. "Then, we'll be glad to do the
installation."
I went into the parts
department and waited...and waited...and waited. There
was only one parts person behind the counter, and he
was on the phone with a long-winded customer. When
that call was finished, he answered the second, and
then the third. Before reaching for each call he
said: "I'll be with you in just a minute." I was
second in line. Soon there were two other people
behind me. We all waited patiently. Time passed. I
gave up.
Returning to the
service writer, I told him the parts department was
too busy answering the phone to wait on the customers.
"I'll come back some other time to get the
deflector," I said. The service manager, sensing my
annoyance, apologized, offered to get the part
himself, and see that it was installed.
I asked about the policy
of giving phone-in customers priority over those who
walk-in. The service writer told me that management
felt phone-in customers have a higher priority. My
view? Wrong!
If I take my time to
drive to the dealership and stand in line, I feel the
dealership should put my needs or wants ahead of someone
phoning in. Here is the way the phone/face etiquette
problem should be handled.
If you are behind the
parts counter, or on the floor selling, and someone
calls on the phone while you're waiting on a customer,
you should:
A) Have another employee
answer the phone and advise the caller that you're busy
with a customer and will call back.
B) If there is no one
else available to answer the phone, you tell the caller
you're busy with a customer and will call him or her
back as soon as possible. You might even tell them the
approximate time frame. For example: Within the next
half hour.
It is in your best
interest to try to minimize interruptions and
concentrate on the person in front of you. Then, when
you've completed your transaction, call the phone-in
person back and tell them that you can now give them
your undivided attention.
The telephone is a very
important tool. It does not, however, take priority
over doing business with someone in your store with
money they want to spend with you.
Why do I feel the
phone/face etiquette question is worthy of an article?
I called about a dozen motorcycle dealers asking how
they rated phone-in versus walk-in. The majority said
they felt the walk-in customer would understand, and be
willing to wait. A rationale offered by about half the
dealers was that they believed the walk-in customer
could look around while he waited. The phone-in person,
according to these dealers, needed to get his or her
questions answered immediately.
I sincerely believe
that this philosophy is in opposition to maintaining
good customer relations. If the walk-in customer wants
to look around, fine. He'll have that opportunity after
he has received the service to which he or she is
entitled.
As for the person on
the phone, most will understand, and perhaps, even
appreciate that you are busy. They will await your
return phone call. If you make it a point to call them
back, their opinion of you and your company, will be
enhanced.
To sum up: Phone/face
etiquette says the person in your face comes first!
