You just cannot miss them and they are a different breed apart. There is hardly any country, city or shopping mall that does not have them. These people are often indifferent to the shoppers and are more engrossed in their own tasks rather than helping their customers that they are supposed to do. While the old gentleman is trying hard to read the fine print on the label of a particular product the person who has been recruited by the store management for assisting the shoppers is more interested in chatting with his friend. This is not a special store or a scene out of a movie. Bad customer service is a bane which is spoiling the reputation of many reputed malls and shopping centers. Even stand alone stores have a decent quota of them.
While there is no doubt that the salesperson is the first to be blamed in such a scenario, the management too is equally guilty. Yes the word guilty is being used because it is a crime not to attend to the customer who is the king and without whose patronage the store would not be there at all. Halfhearted customer service is the major cause of clients shifting their loyalty from one store to another, and why not? They are wasting their precious time and their hard earned money to purchase a product from a particular shop. They are entitled to the attention of the salespersons that are retained by the store owners for a fixed monthly pay package for attending to their clients. If the salespeople do not shed their careless attitude, not only will the store suffer, they too stand a chance of being chucked. They should remember that once blacklisted, it will be very tough for them to find a job of similar nature.
It is the onus of the store management to impart proper training to their personnel so that they can deliver proper customer service to their clients. If the goods are the body of a shop, the client is the soul and they should be treated like a king. Many salespersons carry over the quarrels from their home to the store. This is not ideal. If you are not feeling up to it, just inform the management and take a leave. Like the single proverbial apple spoiled the entire basket of apples, a hot tempered salesperson can spoil the atmosphere of the entire store.
There are, however, some salespersons who know what high-quality customer service is all about. They know that a satisfied shopper will not only come back to the store, chances are that they might even mention their good qualities to the owner. This can very well bring about a promotion for the salesperson concerned. It is a win-win situation for all. The store benefits from the knowledge that the client will be a repeat visitor, the salesperson will take home a fatter pay package.
Thankfully, with more and more institutes coming up, that specialize in training salespersons about client handling and customer service , the day is not far away when one can see each and every client leaving the store with a smiling face. The old gentleman, who has yet to gauge the right product that he requires, and is still fumbling around the store, will be attended to in a way that a citizen of his age deserves.
