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"No Problem" Is a Problem
By: Mary Lloyd

Inexperienced customer service is costing you. Here's an example. Six months ago, while checking out at my then regular grocery store, the young checker carried on a conversation with her also young co-worker in line behind me the whole time she was dealing with my order. I have not gone back to that store. I used to spend as much as $300 at a time there on a weekly basis.

You might be tempted to dismiss this as "old person grumpiness." But if you're a business owner—or supervise those who provide customer service, take a second look. What was going on can make a big difference in your bottom line.

Research suggests older customers value the experience aspect of their purchasing more heavily than younger buyers. Make it a bad experience and they don't shop with you any more. It doesn't have to be a shouting match to be "bad" either. There are a lot of ways to send the message that someone's business isn't that big a deal.

Good customer service is based on respecting the unique person in front of you. Doing so is a lot easier when he or she is like you. So it's normal for kids to prefer to sell to kids. But people like me--over 50 and active--have far more discretionary income than their peers. To do the job they are being paid to do, they need to be able to deal with us effectively, too. You might need to coach them a bit on that.

I didn't like being less important than what kind of cream cheese the friend had gotten for her on her bagel. It seemed I wasn't important because I was not relevant in her personal world. To her, I was just taking up the space in front of her friend. She was missing the point of what she was doing in that check out stand.

I hope you can see the folly of allowing this to be your version of customer service. Success in business goes way past selling to your friends. Even if you're the schmoozer of the century, there aren't enough of them. And if you're young, they really don't have all that much money.

Older shoppers are not what they used to be. The baby boom now has gray hair. We don't take being rendered irrelevant quite as calmly as our elders did. But we vote with our feet. You don't care that I'm here? Fine. I'll go to a store that notices I'm buying from them. Or I will keep my money in my wallet. Either way, you've lost sales.

Before you dismiss all this with the claim that older people don't buy all that much, consider this. Ten years ago, Ken Dychtwald noted in his book Age Power that the 50+ age group controls 70 per cent of the wealth in the United States. He also observed that "while youthful consumer segments are struggling to make ends meet, the percentage of mature men and women who are financially well off has multiplied phenomenally." Even with the economic downturn, the over 50 market segment has incredible buying power. Can you afford to kiss that off?

Did you know you're on thin ice if your sales clerk answers "No problem" when an older customer says "Thank you"? This verbal interaction is extremely irritating to many of us. Of course, it's not a problem, I just purchased from your store!

Little things add up. One too many "No problem" responses and the person who's been buying your best champagne regularly may be on her way to a different store.

It's almost automatic to treat older customers with less respect because of the ageist assumptions of our culture. Treating them as valuable may take conscious effort, especially for young employees. But as customers mature, they value the sales person's behavior more heavily because the experience of shopping is a larger element of their consumption expectations. And they are more willing to NOT spend their money, even though they have it, if they did not get treated well. The "whatever" and "order taker" versions of sales effort don't work with them.

If you want their business, give them a good experience. See them as unique individuals, whether you are selling cars or hot dogs from a mobile cart. Make sure they can find what they need. Laugh with them. They will come back.

And yes, younger customers will too if you treat them that way.

Copyright (c) 2009 Mary Lloyd

Article Source: http://www.excitingdestiny.com/articles

Mary Lloyd is the author of Supercharged Retirement: Ditch the Rocking Chair, Trash the Remote, and Do What You Love. She offers seminars on how you can create a meaningful retirement for yourself and consults to help your business attract and use retired talent well. She is also available as a speaker. For more insights on how to better use your full range of employee talent, go to => www.mining-silver.com .

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