A couple of weeks ago, during one of the classes of The Action Suite, one of my clients went off on a rant about something which happened to her a week or so earlier. What happened to her has been happing more and more today and with competition, be it from other businesses, or the one competitor which effects everyone, the internet; have businesses forgotten what ‘customer service’ is?
She had walked into a Starbucks and was the only person in line with three people working behind the counter. No one acknowledged her. No one addressed her even with a: “I will be with you in just a second.” One made direct eye contact with her and did not even nod to acknowledge her presence. Finally, many minutes later, someone came to help her. She let her feelings be known in no uncertain terms and left the store without purchasing anything.
Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person is like the ‘Energizer Bunny’ and just keeps going and going and going? How long before you completely tune them out? Is it; one minute, three, maybe five or even longer? Statistics show that it is under the one-minute mark.
Have you ever had a conversation with your significant other and as they are speaking you make a decision on what they are speaking on, hoping the one-sided conversation will stop, only to find it continues, regardless of what you said? It was like they did not hear you.
Have you ever had a conversation in your personal life when someone refused to make any eye contact with you? How did it make you feel? How about, during a business meeting when the other party refuses to make eye contact? How does that make you feel? However, do you refuse to make proper eye contact with your friends/prospects?
You have planned for a couple of weeks. Put everything in place for a very important meeting with a major prospect including travel and accommodations as you will need to be there the night before to be able to meet them on time. Then you get the call: “Hi. I will be coming over to your town and would like to meet Tuesday instead of Monday.” All you can think is: “But, I had everything arranged for Monday in their city.”