Now contrast the above story with this one: It too is a true story. Last weekend, I stopped by an Ulta salon for a haircut. The stylist was a good conversationalist, took her time, and did a good job.
As I was paying for the haircut, Roxanne expressed genuine interest in a cut that I had bandaged on my right thumb. She hadn’t noticed it before now and asked, “O-h-h…what did you do to your thumb?”
I explained that I really didn’t injure it. It was just that during the winter months in Colorado, it’s especially dry and my skin tends to crack on my thumb and one or two other areas of my hand. I told her that I’d tried a variety of lotions but nothing seemed to help.
She then said, “Have you tried Glysolid?” as she lead me to the product. She handed me the thin red container saying, “You should try this. I used to have the same condition but now my hands are silky smooth—see?” She held out her hands for me to inspect and guess what? They were smooth and she made a $9 sale!
Think about it: How often do you really encounter employees like Roxanne who express genuinely interest in you? Now, consider how often you encounter employees who are apathetic—employees you might characterize as indifferent toward serving you, the customer (e.g., employees who might say, “If you didn’t see it on the shelf then we don’t carry it. Have a nice day.”).
Would these employees demonstrate the care and concern necessary to ask about an injury you may have received to your thumb? Would these employees really bother to take a personal interest in you? Probably not. Would they have made an additional $9 sale like Roxanne? Probably not.
Memorable service drives sales. Forgettable service does not.
