Anticipating and fulfilling the needs of the customer should occur automatically by your employees, but does it? One would think this basic yet important act of service should not have to be addressed to your staff because it is the basis of quality service. However, there are many workers out there who fail to think of the customers first before considering their own needs.Recently, I had visited a local drugstore and was third place in line waiting to check out. The cashier, who appeared about mid twenties, rudely addressed the first couple (who appeared in their fifties) in line by scolding them for taking the price ticket off the shelf. She said in a loud tone, as if she were yelling at her own kids, “Don’t ever take the price ticket off the shelf like this just because you want to know the sale price of something, because you ripped it and now I don’t know what the price is!” The couple stood there, like two little children, and apologized. The cashier did not respond to their apology. Then, as the couple completed their transaction, they grabbed their bag of items and thanked the cashier. Again, the cashier did not even respond to their pleasantries, much less offer any of her own. At this point, I was now second place in line when the cashier told me and the lady in front of me, “Okay, you guys will need to wait here for a minute while I check the milk in (that just arrived with a delivery man waiting near the register). It will only be a minute and I need to do this now, otherwise we will have spoiled milk.”

I had difficulty imagining 1) how milk can spoil so quickly in an air conditioned store 2) where this cashier’s priorities were, along with her manners. She clearly lacked respect for the customers waiting in line, in addition to the couple who had given her the price ticket. Never mind the fact that this young lady was indeed the youngest out of all of us waiting in line. Aside from respecting her elders, she showed difficulty in respecting customers. Didn’t she realize these customers are the ones who keep her employed?

Please talk to your staff about anticipating the needs of the customers, and of course, fulfilling these needs, preferably before they are asked to do so. The waitress who serves a refill of soda before the customer requests it, is thinking ahead of time, which results in a customer feeling taken care of. The cashier, who rings up the two people left in line before she checks her milk in, is addressing the needs of her customers first before fulfilling her own needs.

I’d be interested in knowing what businesses out there in the community exemplify this type of customer service? Please email me your nominations, along with a short description of how they took care of your needs and I will include it in my column. It’s these types of businesses, along with these kinds of employees that deserve recognition and praise for their service.

Article published in “Bonita Business News”, a magazine published by Fort Myers News-Press, August 2007.

Click here to nominate a business.

Visit bonitabusinessnews.com