You possibly held a job in customer service where you have been put in a position where you felt you had to “Multi-task” customer service and daily tasks. We’ve also seen a line up out the door and you are short a person because they “called in sick.” It is not the guests’ fault, not the employees. It is hard to prevent these situations to occur, but we can see to improve our service during these heavy times.
There are three words remember when assisting multiple guests: Acknowledge, Apologize & Appreciate. The best way to service multiple customers is to remember that every customer deserves to be treated with respect and made to feel that his or her business is important to your organization.
Acknowledge:
Acknowledge means that we need to actually notice the customer. Whether that is through making eye contact, smile, or answering the phone within the first rings. Even when you are busy, make sure that each guest is acknowledged in a timely way.
For example, If you receive a phone call while you are working with someone in person, make sure the caller knows you value their patronage. And then, get their name, phone number and offer to call them back within a specific amount of time. If you are asking someone to hold, first ask their permission to do so, wait for their answer is a step to be remembered.
If you have a line up it is crucial to make sure you make eye contact with each customer in line and let them know that you will be with them shortly.
Ignoring customers in line, or letting the phone ring, will send a message to your valuable guests that they do not matter to you.
Apologize to the customer:
A little empathy in customer service goes a long way. The time that that customer has waited in line, or on hold, is time that they will never be able to get back. If we are not apologetic, again, the customer will likely not want to spend their money with you.
Appreciate the customer:
Show your appreciation for their time, and patience. People today have many choices as to the services and places that they choose to spend their money. Never take even one customer for granted. “I appreciate your patience”, for example.
Remembering the magic words that you learnt when you were young can also be very helpful when assisting more than one person. “Please”, “Thank you”, “Excuse me”, “Pardon me”, “I am Sorry” are valuable word tools.
As long as we are going as fast as we can, and attempt to give the best service we can to each guest, customers will notice it and they will continue to come back many times.
