Priorities: The Customer on the Phone VS The Visitor Who Walks In
Customer Service
One of my colleagues and I were talking about simple issues regarding customer service. She said to me, “I know there are some things that you shouldn’t do to a customer…but every once in a while, I still catch my staff saying and doing things to customers that make me cringe.” She asked me to write about the “customer on the phone vs. the visitor who walks in.”
While you’re talking on the phone a visitor walks in, who get priority?
- the customer on the phone
- the visitor who walks in
A common mistake made by staff members is to keep talking on the phone, assuming the customer who walks in can wait while looking around for a bit. The person who made the effort to show up in-person gets priority. If you’re on the phone, regardless if it’s your floor time, another staff member should immediately take action by attending to the client who just walked in.
If everyone is busy, that means you need to interrupt the caller the quickest and nicest way possible. The quickest and proper way to get the caller’s attention is to call them by name. “David, I have someone who just walked in, may I ask you to hold for a moment?” Typically, people don't like to be put on hold but are more accepting when they know why. Always ask their permission and wait for their agreement. Then acknowledge the visitor, tell them you will be a moment, and wrap-up your telephone conversation.
If you’re talking to a customer in person when the phone rings, then get someone else to answer the phone, or use voice mail. Never abandon the customer to answer the phone. It is downright rude and is a guaranteed way to lose customers. As obvious as this seems, it’s one of the most common blunders in customer service.
