We had Sunday lunch in the beer garden a few weeks ago. It is a pub we have been to before and we know how the system works. We ordered our food, got our number and told them where we were sitting. Unfortunately, the waitress was new and not very confident, she did not like shouting out the order number and if she could not immediately find your table she returned to the kitchen.
This resulted in our food being delayed until someone else could bring it out and shout our number loud enough for us to hear. It was not the end of the world, as the food was still warm and we all know what it is like to be new to a situation. In fact, we started to talk about when we were the newbie and some of the mistakes we had made. But it did get me thinking about how we greet our customers in the practice. How we let them know about the ‘system’ and how it impacts on our bottom line.
The retail ‘meet and greet’ has become a bit of a hackneyed cliché, the Americanised ‘Welcome to our store, have a nice day’, yet that initial contact and how you greet your customers is probably the single most important skill that you can develop in your staff.
What happens when someone enters your store? Studies have shown that initially customers will scan around and do a visual assessment, how does it look? Is it appealing? Does it look as though they have got what I want? Does it feel intimidating? In fact, they will be analysing everything about your business and this is where the ’meet and greet’ done properly will reap huge rewards as it reassures them and lets them know how the ‘system’ works
We all judge people by how they look before we speak to them even if we try not to, so you need to be dressed appropriately. This means that not only do you need to be neat and tidy but also that you need to be easily identifiable as a member of staff. This might mean wearing a badge or a lanyard or it might mean that you adopt a uniform or dress code for all staff, but it is important that customers know who to ask for help and are not left floundering or asking another customer by mistake.
There are pressures on all businesses to keep the paperwork accurate, especially so in a healthcare profession, and as important as it is to finish writing up an order or booking an appointment on the phone it is also important to make sure that you at the very least look up, make eye contact, smile and acknowledge the customer. Your smile is your greatest asset, more than your fantastic products or your in-depth knowledge, it is your smile and greeting that makes your customer comfortable enough to stop and engage with you.
The same is true when you answer the phone, a smile comes across in the tone of your voice so smile when you answer. Customers can see that you are busy and most are willing to wait, so apologise for the delay if it is a job you cannot leave or if you are helping another customer and suggest how long you or a colleague are likely to be before you can help them. If you can leave what you are doing safely, prioritise the new customer and make sure you come back to that job later.
Body language
Keep your body language open, turn towards the customer, make eye contact and avoid barriers such as crossed arms, desks or handfuls of boxes. Keep a comfortable distance, move towards them rather than shouting but respect their body space and do not get too close. Be aware of your gestures; gestures are important but if you flap your hands a lot when you talk be mindful to control them.
Make your greeting personal
Rather than just saying ‘hello’, engage with the person who walks through your door and make it more personal. This shows you value them as a person not just as customer. It is here that another hackneyed cliché is useful; everyone can talk about the weather. If it is raining you can show concern by asking if they have had to walk far or if it is a nice day you can ask if the sun is still shining as you have to go out at lunch time. The advantage of this is that you are not only greeting the person but starting a dialogue, valuing their opinion, showing concern for them and showing that you are a real person and not just part of a company machine.
Be familiar
If a regular customer walks through the door welcome them back by name, even if they have only been in once before, this lets them know you remember them and that they are important. If you cannot remember their name make certain that they know you remember them, ‘Great to see you again.’
Offer guidance and make yourself available
Not everyone will want to chat or ask questions straight away. If someone does not want to engage at that particular moment make sure that you give them some guidance, for instance, ‘Fashion frames are along this wall and ladies frames are on that side.’ And give them a mandate to ask you when they do need your help. ‘I’ll just be finishing this but ask me if you need any help.’
Top tips
- Stop what you are doing
- Acknowledge the person
- Smile and make eye contact
- Make it personal
- Avoid yes/no questions
- Be inviting and do not put up barriers
The meet and greet is the greatest asset your business has. It can increase or lose sales, keep customers loyal or send them elsewhere and is something you can practice and control, so make the most of it.