10 Advice For Salespeople!
Salespeople, take heed! Here’s some advice for you.
1) Do not tell customers that something isn’t available and you’re not sure when it will be coming in.
You’ve been doing this for years, and if you didn’t know, your store would be closed by now. You should be able to tell or say something like, next week or next month. Don’t be lazy – you can call your sister store somewhere in KL and see if it’s available there. I should not have to call myself, or I would be doing your job.
2) Stop giving vouchers that are only valid for one day.
What’s up with this? I spend X amount, and your idea of rewarding me is to give me a miserable voucher for RM10 or RM20, which I have to go up to X floor to collect, and to top it off, spend it today? Hello, nothing in your department store costs that little, so I have to spend more money to use it, then you give me another voucher, and it’s a never-ending cycle.
3) No, I don’t want to sign up for 3 plus 1 or 6 plus 1.
Can’t I just come in for a treatment or anything else just once, pay for it and be done with it? Why do I have to be harassed into buying six sessions and get one free and supposedly save money when I actually have to fork out a ridiculous sum and may not even end up going? Oh, and I have to be a member as well, because then I qualify for the sessions that you make me sign up for.
4) Never tell a customer they can go to another store for something cheaper.
All right, what is wrong with you? Wall Street giants have crumbled and you are but a tiny shop in Jalan Masjid India. Even if you have been there since that road was created, someday, a customer will take your advice and go to your competitor. Or complain to a columnist who writes for a national newspaper.
5) Please hire people who speak one of the two main languages in Malaysia, or at least one of the many dialects.
It would be nice if we can order or ask for things from people in a language we recognise in this country or even Manglish. Resorting to sign language is reserved for foreign countries.
6) Stop having conversations in front of your customers.
I don’t know and don’t care if someone is going out with someone else, has not asked you out, did something unforgivable or is the meanest person alive. Please ring up my purchases. Why it takes two of you to do it is beyond me.
7) Why say something will be ready when it’s not?
If you put it in writing to come and collect something at 5pm, and I come at 6pm, don’t ask me if I can wait till 7pm for it to be ready. And I don’t care if the person doing it has gone to eat. They should have finished their work first.
8) There is such a thing as personal space.
Please stop breathing down my neck. I can look at things myself. Good customer service does not include invading people’s personal space.
9) The customer is not as stupid as you think.
Oh, it’s 30% off? But I have to buy two? Then I qualify for an extra 10%? But it’s only for X card? And the offer expires today? In an hour from now? Excuse me while I check if my brains are still intact. You are so making sense.
And the one that takes the cake:
10) Reservations that try your patience. Or why bother?
“We can only hold your table for 10 minutes.” “We will only seat you when everyone from your party is here.” “You may sit at that table, but only for dinner. You will have to move when the band starts.” “I’m sorry, but that table is not free. It belongs to someone.” Excuse me, why did you open a restaurant? This is actually your private home, right?
Someday, Malaysians will stop putting up with all this nonsense and decide never to go to these places again. And someday, we will have excellent customer service. See, I haven’t broken my resolution, I’m saying something positive, aren’t I? Yes, and you won’t be hearing me wax lyrical about handbags anymore.
1) Do not tell customers that something isn’t available and you’re not sure when it will be coming in.
You’ve been doing this for years, and if you didn’t know, your store would be closed by now. You should be able to tell or say something like, next week or next month. Don’t be lazy – you can call your sister store somewhere in KL and see if it’s available there. I should not have to call myself, or I would be doing your job.
2) Stop giving vouchers that are only valid for one day.
What’s up with this? I spend X amount, and your idea of rewarding me is to give me a miserable voucher for RM10 or RM20, which I have to go up to X floor to collect, and to top it off, spend it today? Hello, nothing in your department store costs that little, so I have to spend more money to use it, then you give me another voucher, and it’s a never-ending cycle.
3) No, I don’t want to sign up for 3 plus 1 or 6 plus 1.
Can’t I just come in for a treatment or anything else just once, pay for it and be done with it? Why do I have to be harassed into buying six sessions and get one free and supposedly save money when I actually have to fork out a ridiculous sum and may not even end up going? Oh, and I have to be a member as well, because then I qualify for the sessions that you make me sign up for.
4) Never tell a customer they can go to another store for something cheaper.
All right, what is wrong with you? Wall Street giants have crumbled and you are but a tiny shop in Jalan Masjid India. Even if you have been there since that road was created, someday, a customer will take your advice and go to your competitor. Or complain to a columnist who writes for a national newspaper.
5) Please hire people who speak one of the two main languages in Malaysia, or at least one of the many dialects.
It would be nice if we can order or ask for things from people in a language we recognise in this country or even Manglish. Resorting to sign language is reserved for foreign countries.
6) Stop having conversations in front of your customers.
I don’t know and don’t care if someone is going out with someone else, has not asked you out, did something unforgivable or is the meanest person alive. Please ring up my purchases. Why it takes two of you to do it is beyond me.
7) Why say something will be ready when it’s not?
If you put it in writing to come and collect something at 5pm, and I come at 6pm, don’t ask me if I can wait till 7pm for it to be ready. And I don’t care if the person doing it has gone to eat. They should have finished their work first.
8) There is such a thing as personal space.
Please stop breathing down my neck. I can look at things myself. Good customer service does not include invading people’s personal space.
9) The customer is not as stupid as you think.
Oh, it’s 30% off? But I have to buy two? Then I qualify for an extra 10%? But it’s only for X card? And the offer expires today? In an hour from now? Excuse me while I check if my brains are still intact. You are so making sense.
And the one that takes the cake:
10) Reservations that try your patience. Or why bother?
“We can only hold your table for 10 minutes.” “We will only seat you when everyone from your party is here.” “You may sit at that table, but only for dinner. You will have to move when the band starts.” “I’m sorry, but that table is not free. It belongs to someone.” Excuse me, why did you open a restaurant? This is actually your private home, right?
Someday, Malaysians will stop putting up with all this nonsense and decide never to go to these places again. And someday, we will have excellent customer service. See, I haven’t broken my resolution, I’m saying something positive, aren’t I? Yes, and you won’t be hearing me wax lyrical about handbags anymore.
MOHD ADHA MOHD ZAIN (ADHA ZAIN)
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