Everyone likes to receive compliments. Whether someone says you look really nice, or they think you did a really great job doing something, the gesture is appreciated. Even if you’re uncomfortable with compliments because you don’t know how to respond, the compliment itself makes you feel warm and squishy inside.
Well, you can give this experience to your customers on a regular basis if you look for the right opportunities.
When you are speaking with a customer, whether on the phone or in the store, you will pick up information from them that will identify if it’s a moment you can use to make the customer feel good about themselves.
Most of these opportunities will probably come from a problem that has developed and they need it fixed. Of course, this is the optimum time to be making the customer feel as good as possible to distract them from how upset they are in the first place. So it’s only a win/win situation if you play your cards right.
Let’s pretend you have a customer who just received a soda fountain installation. They’ve just called to inform you they have a water leak. Not only do they have a water leak, but it’s made a huge puddle on the floor. They also tell you they shut off the water valve and cleaned up the mess, but want you to send someone over immediately to fix it.
In this case, the customer has given you not one, but two ways to compliment them and make them feel good about themselves.
1. They shut off the water valve
2. They cleaned up the water
While this may seem silly, it’s these two things you can turn back to the customer and say:
“You know, that was really smart of you to turn off the water valve. The leak could have gotten a lot worse if you hadn’t done that. And I’m so glad you were able to clean up the water mess. Not only did you prevent any damage from occurring, you probably saved someone from slipping and injuring themselves”.
Your opportunity may come as the example of the above, or it can be as simple as complimenting a customer’s attire when he/she comes in to shop in your store. However, be aware that not every situation will present an opportunity. If one is not there, do not force it.
One think you MUST do when you give any type of praise or compliment to a customer is ensure you are SINCERE in your message. If you there is any hint of falseness or patronizing in your voice, you will possibly end up distancing the customer further.
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