Who Really Needs Help?

It seems that every time I interact with a business as a customer I get a gift.  Either I get a good experience or I get a lesson in how not to act with or around my customers.

I needed a few things for a project I was working on today and went to a local store to get them.  At checkout, the line was a bit long and it was obvious that the cashier was a bit overloaded.  A male employee came up to that part of the store and asked her if she need help (keen sense of the obvious).

She said she did and I thought he was going to help out.  Nope!  While standing amongst the customers, he yelled out, “We need help up front.”  Then he shook his head in disgust and walked off to do something else.

How would you guess this might have impacted me and the other customers in line?  One might wonder about how the people in this store get along.  One might wonder if he can expect to be treated the way the employees treat each other.  One might wonder if the disgust was an indication that others are lazy, indifferent or negligent.  And if that is the case, how might that impact my customer experience at other times.

Could he have handled that differently?  What would you have done in his shoes?

The way people perceive us, is the way they perceive our business.  That perception will always be based on our behavior – not just toward the customer but toward the world in general.  Most important, whether you are the owner, a manager or an employee at any level, the perception customers have of the business impacts your potential for success.