Keep Your Customer In Their Place
You want your customers to feel welcome in your shop. You want them to come back to your store, feel relaxed and appreciated. That is only natural and right. Much thought and effort has gone into the set up of your enterprise. But how do you plan for handling the customer? Surely they just buy your product or service and leave? Not exactly. When you think you have heard and seen it all, someone will always prove you wrong.
When you read a book or article stating the customer is king or the customer is always right, you are led to believe a subservient demeanor will win you the respect of your customers. Delete that idea from your mind if you want to survive in business.
I’ve Been Your Customer — Loan Me Some Money
Imagine my astonishment when a man came into my shop with his tale of woe. He has been a patron several times, but not enough for me to know his name. His wife had the car keys and he needed to get back to the city. Could I possibly loan him twenty pounds? Of course, my answer was no.
He continued with his tale with added emphasis and puppy-dog eyes, in an effort to dissuade me from my decision. My answer remained the same. A courteous — no. Of course he left the shop an unhappy ‘customer’.
You will have more outgoings than any customer could possibly imagine. You may not be able to pay yourself a wage yet, you might be struggling with your business rates payments, your equipment may need repair. Regardless of these points, loan your customer money at your peril. Do it once and you will be doing it again. You are a business, not a bank!
Do Not Accept Gifts
Some people really do have a big heart. Some are genuine too. How lovely. That is until they have another agenda.
New to the area and this particular high street we set up shop. A particular couple became regulars at our shop. They loved the classic movies we played and gave us a collection of Alfred Hitchcock movies they no longer wanted. What a generous thing to do, we thought. Over the ensuing weeks, they felt compelled to bring other items too. We were getting nervous, and had not yet learned how to say no, to a customer.
One day, they presented us with a fruit cake they had baked as a ‘gift’. How sweet. The following day, true to their routine, they walked through our door with a big fat smile.
Our usuals, please. Oh, and a piece of that cake we bought in yesterday.
Not a flicker or hint of shame. Did they really want a slice of the ‘gift’ with their coffee? After all, we were selling a variety of handmade cakes. They repeated this the very next day too. On day three, we decided to take action. When they asked for some of ‘their fruit cake’, we replied,”We took the fruit cake home. Would you like a slice of what we have on offer? Needless to say they were not happy.
Not everyone has a hidden agenda. But it is better not to allow yourself to be placed in such an awkward position. Kindly state it is company policy not to accept gifts. It could be construed as bribery.
Watch Your Words
Customers have excellent hearing. Even if they have heard incorrectly — they will embellish a story and fill in the gaps regardless. Even things said in jest.
One early morning, some customers sat in our shop bay window watching police inspect a parked van. The owner opened the back door as the search continued.
“I wonder what’s in the van?” one of our customers asked as she intently watched the inspection.
Knowing her love for thrillers I replied, “You never know, there might be a body in there,” and laughed.
“Oh!” Her eyes grew wide. “I’m going to tell people about this,” she said, her nose almost in contact with the window. Turning to me, her eyes lit up. “And I’m going to tell people you said you saw a body in the van. It will sound more juicy.”
Although she thought this was funny, I did not. A simple comment, to which I had not given much though, was to be twisted to feed her love of gossip. Although we got to know her well for distortions of the truth, my guard had fallen asleep. Absentmindedly, I had let it down.
It is really difficult to remember, as nice as some people are, they are customers. Especially when you see them on a weekly basis and you build up a relationship. It is an easy and natural consequence. But remember that when it suits them, they are the customer and not your friend.
Keep Your Opinions About Your Neighbour To Yourself
You may get to know the businesses on your street. Hopefully you will build good friendships and allies. It is beneficial to support each other where possible. The camaraderie is invaluable.
Local customers will have a story or two, good or bad, about other shops. They may know someone who has worked for that store, they themselves may have been dismissed or have taken a general dislike to them. Whatever you hear, it is imperative to remain neutral.
Gossip is like quicksand — you can be swiftly sucked in. Cut gossip off at the feet, do not wait for it to reach the knees — by then it will be too late. The more you hear, the harder it is to tune out.
We heard so many tales about the hairdressers across the street, the local cafe and our immediate neighbours. Enough scandal to give script and novel writers material for a lifetime.
We would suddenly decide to clean the bathroom, tidy the stores or sweep the floor. Or, if need be, stop the customer dead in mid-flow. Sometimes we would let them know we knew the business in question well. At other times we would notify them that their information had not been requested. Either method worked well.
If they have much to say about another enterprise, they will have much to say about yours. And what they do not know, they will turn into fiction. Be on your guard.
Remember, They Are Customers, Not Your Friend
Having a shoulder to cry on is handy when you need one. It may be the business reducing you to tears, and it will at times, or life in general. When those moments arrive, leave your patrons out of it.
You will certainly have great customers who you really like and care for. But they are exactly that — a customer not family member or friend. They may cry on your shoulder, but it must not be reciprocated.
If, in a moment of weakness, you find yourself talking about your business or life woes, expect to hear it from someone else by the end of the week. People love to feel they have insider information which is unknown to others. We have all heard the words, wait until you hear what I’ve got to tell you! Or You will not believe what I’ve just heard. It is human nature. That sense of superiority knowing more than the next person.
When you own shop, somehow you are given a particular status. It is almost as though you are part of an elite group. So when customers feel they know you more than those at the next table, it give them positive strokes.
Working in a Cambridgeshire restaurant, I would often watch customers making a show of knowing the proprietors. Their behaviour became ostentatious as they walked in the door. They would rub shoulders with the business owner, yet be condescending to the staff. Their loud hellos and showy goodbyes would give them their fifteen minutes of fame. Yet these were the same customers who told all they knew when the business folded and the further locations went into receivership. Suddenly, knowing the proprietors was not so advantageous.
The customer is where you will learn your greatest lessons. They will test you to the point of fracture. This is where your prime lessons lie. Your business muscles grow stronger and you will and must hold your ground. You cannot know it all when it come to setting up shop.
Make your mistakes. Do not regret them — just learn from them.
