Orientation to customers is rewarding

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At present, all big companies put stress on improvement of their shops’ environment and quality of goods and services offered. However, recently, we do not see significant changes in the approach of employees to a customer. Shops of big companies are nicely arranged, the atmosphere is pleasant but sellers often totally depress these advantages by their approach to customers.

When we talk about customer service and an approach to clients, I always remember my old friend from Costa Rika who studied in Prague and fall in love with Prague. He gained a lot of experience during his stay in the Czech Republic and is always happy to come back. Due to the fact that he has been working for a big international company dealing with IT, recently, he had the possibility to stay a few days in Austria and, as he had three days off before his return to home, he decided to go to Prague. He travelled to Prague from Vienna by train. When he came to Prague to the train central station he went to an information desk to check his return ticket. There was a frowning not pleasantly looking woman sitting behind the counter who answered something without any greeting and with a fair amount of reluctance. Whatever she had said was not understandable to an English-speaking customer at all. However, the reaction of my friend was positive: “It is great, I am here, I am in Prague!”

Yes, the quality of customer service, willingness and helpfulness towards customers is unfortunately very poor in the Czech Republic and we are famous for it abroad.

Most companies base their success on improvement of quality of the environment, goods and services but they forget the most important thing – every single employee who works with the company and comes into contact with customers and potential clients regularly.

This approach’s grounds are proved by the improvement of business results and a growing base of regular customers of companies that mean their approach truly and enforce its observation.

A number of companies and, especially, their employees do not realize that the operating staff and their approach to customers are the most important factors for any customer. They are the factors that are decisive for many of us whether we react positively to an active sales offer or come back to the concerned shop or company in the future or whether we also go to other branches of the same company.

If we look at the basic areas of customer orientation, we will find out that everything is about our power. To greet the customer, give the customer a smile, offer the customer help and help him/her, not to let him/her wait long, look at the customer when we talk to him/her… This kind of service or seller is seen by customers as nice, kind and trustworthy.

Every customer behaves in such a situation naturally, does not pretend anything and trust the seller. It contributes significantly to the growing of turnover. Another important plus of this approach also is a considerable decreasing of the possibility of conflict or other difficult situation. It is said that a man is a mirror of his/her surroundings. So, lets behave to a customer the way we want the customer to behave to us.

In each contact between two people who did not meet before, the first impression plays the most important role. It is the very first impression that, in most cases, decides whether the customer decides to purchase and react positively to the active sales offer. We make the first impression within a few first seconds of contact with another person. Most of the first impression is not based on what the other person tells us but, mostly, on his/her body language and the tone of his/her voice. Very often, an unknown person does not need to tell us anything and only based on a short look we create an opinion of him/her. That is the first impression.

How the body language and voice influence the first impression:

 

1. Eyes: The ability to make eye contact creates a feeling of trustworthiness. Lowering of eyes makes the impression of subordination, avoiding somebody’s gaze impresses uncertainty.
2. Pose: Straight pose means healthy self-confidence, bent pose the contrary.
3. Head: Bended back means disregard and contempt for a customer.
4. Face: If we smile at customers they will smile at us, too.
5. Gestures: Too quick gesticulation makes the impression of aggressiveness, slow gesticulation impresses boringly and awkwardly.
6. Voice: Lower and quiet voice is an important part of professional behaviour, do not raise it.

Michal Kopřiva
Executive