Sunday Morning

After I graduated from the ice cream department to the photo and liquor department, I was working one Sunday morning and it was busy.  There were two cash registers in the department, one at either end, and I was tied up at one register for quite a while and then when I looked up, I saw an irritated looking customer standing at the other register.  After I finished the transaction I was working on, I hurried down and said, “I’m sorry Sir, I didn’t see you down here, how can I help you today?”

He looked right at me and said, “I’ve been standing down here for 10 minutes!”

I apologized again saying, “I’m really sorry Sir, I didn’t see you down here, how can I help you today?”

Continuing to glare at me he again shouted, “I’ve been standing down here for 10 minutes!”

I apologized for a third time and by now I was really getting irritated, and he once again said, “I’ve been standing down here for 10 minutes!” to which I responded, “Patience is a virtue isn’t it!”

At this point he went ballistic and demanded to see the Manager immediately.  I was so angry myself that I picked up the intercom and practically yelled, “Mr. Peterson Liquor department please!”

When Mr. Peterson arrived, the customer started telling him what a loud-mouthed wise guy I was and that I was rude to him and totally out of line.  I was waiting to get my 2 cents in, to explain how unfair this customer was being.  As luck would have it there was another customer standing right behind the angry guy who I thought sure would explain how I was clearly in the right and that the customer was actually the one being rude!  

Well, sure enough just as the man ran out of breath, she stuck her head around him and said, “This man is absolutely correct! That kid is a rude sarcastic jerk and you ought to fire him right now!”

I couldn’t believe it!  How could she not see what was happening right in front of her eyes?  How could she think that he was right, and I was wrong? 

The Essential Lesson:   How would I feel if that was me on the other side of the counter?

It’s easy to say I understand your own point of view…it’s something else entirely to really put yourself in the customer’s shoes, think about what that means to really stop and ask yourself “How would I feel if that were me?”  When you teach this to every one of your associates…magic happens.