Professionalism = More
than just doing your job
Dennis Snow
July 24, 2007
I don't like to shop.
Clothes shopping,
grocery shopping, car
shopping; it doesn't
matter -- I don't like
it. I want to get in,
get what I want (fast),
and get out. A recent
shopping experience,
however, was a pleasant
surprise.
This experience
showcased customer
service at its best, and
at its most simple. Once
again I was reminded
that great service isn't
about grand acts, it is
about common courtesy,
artfully delivered.
While on vacation in
Chicago, I needed
to buy a pair of casual
shoes (I had forgotten
mine). I found myself in
a store called the
Walking Company. A
friend once told me it
was a good store. It was
crowded, so I almost
left. But one of the
salespeople made eye
contact with me. It
wasn't the kind of eye
contact that said, "Oh
no, another customer."
Instead, it was eye
contact that said, "I'll
be right with you." It
was good eye contact.
So I browsed around for
a few minutes and found
a pair of shoes I liked.
Sure enough, the
salesperson came up and
said, "Sorry about the
wait, let's get you some
shoes." I showed her the
pair I wanted and asked
to try size 10. She
said, "Let's measure
your foot just to make
sure." I know I wear
size 10, but her whole
demeanour showed that
she wanted to make sure
I got the right shoes.
She measured my foot and
said, "Size 10 is right,
but you have a very 'Rubenesque'
foot. The type of shoe
you've selected won't be
the most comfortable for
you. I think this other
style would feel much
better."
Being the skeptic that I
am, I looked at the
price of her suggested
shoes to see how much
she was up-selling me.
Same price. Hmm. With
nothing to lose, I tried
on the style she
suggested, and they were
extremely comfortable. I
must admit: they are the
most comfortable pair of
casual shoes I've ever
owned.
As I paid for the shoes,
the salesperson
continued to wow me. She
said, "If you ever buy a
pair of shoes somewhere
else be sure to tell the
salesperson that the
arches in your foot have
fallen a little, and you
need shoes with some
arch support -- like
these."
When I get good service
like this, I want to
keep it going. I asked
her if there is a
Walking Company in
Orlando, where I live.
"Absolutely, it's at the
Millennium Mall." Since
then I've bought two
pairs of dress shoes at
the Orlando Walking
Company, again with
great service. I can't
imagine buying shoes
anywhere else. And I've
sent plenty of friends
there.
Now, let's look at what
this salesperson did
that made this a great
shopping experience.
I'll analyze the details
in a moment, but one
word sums up her style
-- professional. This
lady was a professional
in every sense of the
word. Her skills would
apply anywhere, as
applicable in a bank,
hospital, theme park, or
law office as they are
in a shoe store.
Here are four universal
traits of a professional
in any job position:
1. Professionals are
responsive:
When I entered the
store, the salesperson
made immediate eye
contact with me. It was
sincere eye contact that
said she cared that I
was there. And as soon
as she was finished with
her customer she came
right over to help me
and apologized for the
wait.
The store was busy. But
I noticed that everyone
was being helped. The
salespeople had mastered
the art of handling more
than one customer at a
time while making each
customer feel like
he/she was the only one.
None of the salespeople
looked frantic, just
responsive.
2. Professionals are
knowledgeable:
This salesperson knew
about shoes. On the
other hand, I know very
little about shoes.
Seeing that this was the
case, she took charge of
the situation and made
sure that I was getting
shoes that were right
for me. I benefited from
her knowledge.
There is an art to
sharing knowledge, I
admit. Some customers
may say, "I know what I
want. Just get it for
me." By briefly talking
to me, however, she
realized she could make
a recommendation for me,
that I was flexible.
Professionals read the
situation and adapt to
the personality and
needs of the customer.
Of course, all of this
means knowing your
product. Professionals
are constantly learning
about their products and
their customers. The
only way that the
Walking Company
salesperson could steer
me to the right pair of
shoes was by knowing
shoes and feet.
Professionals know their
stuff.
3. Professionals care
about what they do:
My
Walking Company
salesperson could have
easily brought me the
pair of shoes I
originally asked for.
But she wasn't selling
shoes -- she was selling
the right shoes. That's
the difference.
Professionals aren't
happy just selling a
product. They want it to
be the right product for
the customer.
4. Professionals teach
you something:
I
left the Walking Company
knowing more than when I
walked in. I now know to
ask for extra arch
support in my shoes. Not
a big deal, but I will
always remember that
advice.
Think of some of your
best service
experiences: the waiter
who made the perfect
recommendation, the
computer helpdesk that
gave you a tip on how to
make an application more
effective, or the
clothing store employee
who helped you
coordinate colors.
In most cases of
outstanding service, the
employee left you more
knowledgeable than when
he/she found you. The
new information might
not change your life
(though it could), but
it does make your life a
tad better.
Conclusion:
1.
Professional behaviors
are simple. What's not
simple is the consistent
application of them.
Being a true
professional takes
thought and effort. But,
once you are truly
professional you can go
just about anywhere.
2.
The skills are
universal, and they are
rare. True professionals
stand out from the crowd
and grow rewarding and
satisfying careers. And
the customers of the
world know when one is
at work.
Dennis Snow is the
president of Snow &
Associates, Inc. He
worked with the Walt
Disney World Company for
20 years and now
consults with
organizations around the
world helping them
achieve their customer
service goals. He is the
author of the book,
Unleashing Excellence --
The Complete Guide to
Ultimate Customer
Service