Stalking as a Customer Service Technique

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of going shopping with my daughter. We were in one of the large department stores looking at candles, when we were approached by a sales clerk. As is typical (but probably not terribly effective), she asked if she could help us “find anything.” We told her we were just browsing. She made a comment about the candles we were looking at, which can be a good lead-in to a sale, but rather than point out the great things about that particular brand of candles, she told us that she didn’t burn “real” candles, because she had a cat and was afraid he might set his fur on fire! I confess that I had never thought of that, but I do own a cat (perhaps my cat is more intelligent than hers?), and being on a caffeine high, I made a flip comment about my cat. She laughed, and I assured her I was only kidding.

Kierra and I wandered on, only to have her talk to us again in another department, trying to get us to open a credit card (10% off today if you open an account!). She continued to "chat us up" throughout various departments until we finally left. We couldn’t look at what we wanted to look at, because she was so intent on talking to us (and no, I don’t think she was concerned that we might shoplift).

I have had other, similar experiences. Sales clerks are so intent on “helping” me pick out clothes to try on, that they end up driving me out of their store in exasperation. This has occurred even after I have told the clerk that I want to look around on my own, and assured the clerk that I will find her/him if I have any questions. I’m sure that some clerks think I’m rude, but I have found that the best way to be able to leisurely shop and look at what I want to look at is to be brief and not make eye contact when they greet me.

The pinnacle of this “stalking” occurs on the lower level of the Jordan Creek Town Center, at a kiosk selling hand lotion. The sales people stand on either side of the kiosk (no escaping them) with a tube of lotion, asking customers if they want to try some. If they customer says no, they follow up with, “Can I ask you something?” I fell for this the first time, only to learn that they wanted to ask me if my nails were “real” and if they could show me their amazing buffing stone! It’s so bad that I often avoid the lower level of that particular wing – I’m sure the other retailers would not be happy to hear that the kiosk’s sales tactics are driving away their potential customers!

Ann Taylor (the women’s clothing store), on the other hand, does a nice job of training sales clerks to recognize which customers want help and which don’t. They teach them how to greet customers (so they are acknowledged) without stalking them, and how to be helpful yet unobtrusive.

Do your associates know the difference? Do they know how to treat different customers? Or are they so intent on being friendly and helpful that they are driving your customers away?

Official vs. Unofficial Branding

Yesterday, I met with Jeff Garrison, of JCG Consulting. Although we covered a lot of ground, one of the most interesting (yet briefest) things we talked about was something I referred to as “unofficial” branding, based on the tried and true cliché that “actions speak louder than words.” The goal, of course, is to have your official brand be consistent with your unofficial brand. In a negative example of this, a company I have dealt with in the past proudly displayed their official brand – incredible customer experiences – around the store. Yet, the wait for service was always quite lengthy (at one point, they were telling customers it was going to be two hours before someone could help them!). Clearly, the official brand (i.e., what the company said its brand was), and the unofficial brand (what the company actually did) were inconsistent. Which one do you think the customer believed?

This is true of “internal” brands as well, i.e., the relationship you have with your employees. If you list “family” as one of your values, yet are consistently resistant to allowing employees to be flexible with their schedule so they can care for their families, you will lose credibility and trust. Your employees (internal customers) are going to believe your unofficial, action brand rather than your official, stated brand.

It’s not going to matter how many ads you run saying that you are devoted to great customer service or being a family friendly employer; if your actions don’t back up what you are saying, your unofficial brand will always speak louder. Even if you change course and begin “walking the walk,” it may take you a very long time (if ever) to convince your customers/employees that you have changed.

So – do your official and unofficial brands match?