A Choice: Cheery vs. Annoyed
"You are serving a customer, not a life sentence. Learn how to enjoy your work." – Laurie McIntosh
A few days ago, I stopped by a chain-store pharmacy here in San Antonio to get a passport photo to use on a travel visa to visit my wife’s parents in Venezuela.
I had other errands to run throughout the day, so I finally arrived for the visa photo around 5 pm. Little did I know this would cause an issue at the store.
The Cheery Attendant
When I arrived, I observed a young lady working behind the counter, and she had just completed a check-out transaction, so I asked …
“Miss, do you know where I can get a passport photo for a visa?”
She quickly replied that I had come to the right place, and because she was free, she could take the picture right away.
As we walked to the place where the pictures are taken with a white screen attached to the wall, I mentioned to her that she must have so many duties, given that just a few seconds ago she was managing the point-of-sale system.
She happily replied, “I guess so … but I like to do this work, especially taking the pictures!”
Wait a second! She is a happy employee!
Wow!
Before snapping the picture with the digital camera, she reminded me to remove my glasses and to not smile.
We were done! All in just a few minutes!
Not So Fast!
After making our way back to the front of the store, a flood of customers came through the doors.
I guess we can call it the effect of the 5 o’clock traffic. Before long, the young lady was super-busy with restless customers who wanted the help of an attendant to pay for their products instead of using the handy self-check-out terminals.
Recognizing that I had waited about 10 minutes for the photo to be processed, the young employee was finally able to waive down her co-worker, Nick, to help me with the passport photo.
Annoyed Nick
Nick was a totally different story.
I attempted to be friendly with him, but he would not have it.
I said, “Man! You guys are busy. I should have come by earlier today to do this.”
He retorted without making eye contact, “Well … we normally do not do passport photos between 4 and 6 pm!”
I could see that Nick was annoyed, and it was obvious he did not like his job. I could tell he wanted to be anywhere but at work. It was almost like he was disturbed to be helping customers.
My Point
I find it interesting that two employees working for the same organization have a totally different perspective on work.
The young lady was cheerful and happy to help. She even had a bounce in her step.
Nick, on the other hand, was unprofessional, unfriendly, and unwilling to help paying customers.
Yet, we know these two employees were hired and trained in a very similar way.
What do you think made the difference?
I think I know part of this answer … The training has very little to do with one’s customer service commitment.
Instead, the smart approach is to hire people who have a good culture fit, the ones that are excited to assist customers.
From my perspective, this example reinforces the importance of recruiting people who have excellent customer service skills.
For the technical stuff, we can provide the right training once they are onboard.
Inspiring Quotes
"Instead of focusing on the competition, focus on the customer." – Scott Cook
"Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement." – James Cash Penny
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you lead with a smile?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.