Greet and Acknowledge All Customers Entering or LeavingYour Store or Business
By Tom Borg ©2009
Imaging. Tony's print shop is one of the busiest in the area. Whenever I walk into his store, he calls me by name as he greets me. At first, I thought I was someone he particularly liked. We had discovered we were of the same nationality, Maltese, and his last name was the same as my uncle's. However, I soon discovered that he was genuinely friendly with all of his customers. He knows the majority of them by name, and if he doesn't know a person's name, he finds out immediately by asking. Many times there is a line of people waiting to speak with Tony or one of his assistants. It doesn't matter how long the line is, because as soon as that door opens and a customer walks in, he or she is acknowledged. If it will be a couple of minutes before Tony can get to the customer, he lets the person know. He thanks each one for understanding. The people wait patiently, because they know they will get the same personable attention. When a customer leaves, he or she is also given a cheerful goodbye.
What Tony and his staff are doing is helping their customers feel important. They want their customers to feel like they are somebody special. And as Tony says, "They are somebody special; they are my customers."
What are some of your ideas on how acknowledging customers can be done better? More consistently?
