Comments on: Those Pesky Customers

By: John R. Ingrisano

John R. Ingrisano — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:57:38 +0000

There’s a common thread running through here — and a GREAT OPPORTUNITY for SBOs looking to build customer loyalty and make a buck. Service counts!

It’s not so much about selection and price, but about service, about making the customer feel welcome and appreciated. — JRIngrisano

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:31:28 +0000

The other day I was at Lowe’s loading up 4 carts with over $2,500 in lighting for some spec homes I’m building and I got treated like I was the worlds biggest pain in the ass.

I was really shocked. We needed a few dozen light fixtures and after each one he would walk away and we’d have to go find him to get us another box or check the back for stock. We even asked repeatedly for him to stick around and he just refused.

At one point it seemed we caught him mimicking or making fun of us and/or our light choices to a co-worker as they quickly went quiet when we appeared in the aisle they were standing in and the co-worker he was talking to tried to hold a chuckle back while he took off the opposite direction.

How’s that for customer service? That experience probably cost Lowe’s $15,000/yr in sales because we’ll never shop there for spec lighting again. Home Depot is just down the road

By: Claire Upham (sister of Bill)

Claire Upham (sister of Bill) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:18:38 +0000

Same thing happened to me recently at a “BIG” box store trying to pick up items to hang pictures. It was frustrating to be made to feel you were “interrupting” their day. Good article Bill.

By: John R. Ingrisano

John R. Ingrisano — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:41:52 +0000

Bill, I’ve always said — more or less tongue in cheek — that it weren’t for the customers and the employees, business would be a breeze.

Another excellent piece. We all have run into Kyles. Sad but true. J