The other afternoon, I went to an automotive supplies store. No, I wasn’t lost. I needed a small tool and figured they might have it. Plus, it was an opportunity to support our industry.
I was wandering the aisles for all of 30 seconds when a friendly employee pointed me in the right direction. With what I came for in hand, I got in line.
And then it happened. “We’ve lost connection. Our system is down. Our ENTIRE system is DOWN!”
The look on his face was pure panic….and you could obviously hear it in his voice. Who the heck was this guy freaking out? I scanned his name tag. Oh. The store manager. Cool.
He continued. “Bob! Get on the phone NOW! Call corporate. We’re down. We’re DOWN!” As Bob feverishly punched numbers into the closest register phone, the dozen or so customers in line around me started to head towards the door.
Enter, friendly employee from earlier. “Hey, guys. It appears our system is down but it should only take a few minutes to restart. If you’re paying with cash, I can actually help you right now on this first register.” “Oh and sir, that looks heavy. Let me put that right on the counter here so you don’t have to hold it. Now, which would you like: a soda or a water?”
In 5 minutes, their computer system was up and running. Not a single customer walked out while they were waiting.
One friendly employee saved this store hundreds of dollars in lost sales. Great, right? But, that’s not the important takeaway.
We’ve all been like the store manager before. Something happened and you acted like you and the whole building around you were on fire. Your employees saw. Your boss saw. And your customers saw.
When it feels like the moment you’re in is going up in flames, remember: Your Face. A poker face isn’t just for playing cards. If you let worry and stress stretch from ear to ear, expect to see the same on the faces staring back at you. Your Voice. If you’re the loudest person in the room, you’re bound to attract some attention. So keep the swearing, exclaiming, and name-calling down. Your Words. In a hot situation, it’s also about how you say what you say. Choose your words carefully and make sure they are not only polite, but solution-oriented.
So, where’s the fire? You’re it. Put it out before it starts or don’t be surprised when you lose credibility, respect, and sales.
This week, Director of Customer Experience Jennifer Porter shares a lesson right from an automotive supplies store. Have you ever been on fire? Share in the comments below or with her directly.
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