Once or twice a week, I walk into my neighborhood dry cleaners with an armful of shirts. As the clerk (and it doesn’t matter which one) approaches the counter, they hopefully ask “just dropping off?”
And I always reply, “Nope, I need to pick up as well.”
Then, as if it was a choreographed part of their business, they take in a little breath and turn back to walk to the computer, to look up my order number. I’m pretty sure they’re completely unaware that they do it. Or that it is so embedded in the culture of the company that they ALL do it.
But they message they transmit is “it’s kind of a pain to have to get your stuff for you. I wish you were just dropping off.”
I never leave feeling as though they appreciate my business. I leave feeling bad that I inconvenienced them.
Imagine how different it would feel if they approached the counter with a “do you have an order to pick up too?”
Tiny tweak. Major difference.
Are you sure you’re transmitting the message you want your customers to receive? Are you sure there’s nothing in your company’s culture/customer interaction that could use a tiny tweak?
