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Retail Management

Notes a firewall to a bank teller. When you enter a bank, you don’t just go into the vault and get
your money. Instead, you go to a window, where the teller verifies your identity and
determines that you have enough money. The teller goes to the vault, brings it back to the
window, gives it to you, and then you leave.
6. Use positive instead of negative statements: Your customers are more interested in your
capabilities than in your limitations. In other words, they’re interested in what you can do,
rather than what you can’t do. The way you say things to them influences how they perceive
you and your department. You, as an IT department or individual, can be seen as a roadblock
or you can be seen as a partner. So, for example, instead of saying, “I can’t help you unless
you log off,” consider saying, “Please log off so that I can help you.” Your statements often
will be easier to understand as well.

Here’s another reason to avoid negative statements. Have you ever experienced gaps of
silence in your telephone calls, where the conversation breaks up? Usually it happens
when using a cell or a VoIP telephone. If the gap occurs as you’re saying “not,” your
recipient could get the opposite message from what you intended.
7. Be careful of misinterpreted words and phrases: Sometimes we say something with innocent
intent, but the other person misinterprets it. We mean to say one thing, but our
pronunciation or inflection causes us to convey something else. For example, in Chinese,
the sound “ma” said in a high level tone means “mother in law.” However, said in a
falling and rising tone, it means “horse.”

Be especially careful of the word “you.” Overusing this word can make the person you’re
talking to feel defensive or threatened. Instead of saying, “You need to speak louder,” try
saying, “I’m having trouble hearing.” Another issue involves the dual meaning of “you.”
Unlike other languages, English uses the same word to refer to an actual person (for
example, the person you’re talking to) as well as to a hypothetical person. Suppose you
said to someone, “You never know what’s going to happen next,” and meant to equate
“you” with “people in general.” The other person might think you’re referring to him or
her specifically and take offense. A better alternative might be, “It’s really unpredictable
here.”
If someone is upset, one of the worst things to say is “calm down.” It might work one half
of one percent of the time, but generally all it does is make things worse.

In general, think before you speak. I’m not saying you always have to be polite or
diplomatic. Sometimes you do need to (figuratively, of course) beat people up. However,
do consider the alternatives before speaking. As the proverb goes, “He who guards his
mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
8. Remember that technical problems involve emotional reactions: When customers have a
technical problem (for example, they’re having trouble printing), keep in mind that they’ll
almost always have an emotional reaction as well. Those emotions can range from simple
annoyance to outright panic, depending on the importance of the document and the time
element involved. I’m not saying you have to be Dr. Phil, but it’s important to acknowledge
and recognize these emotional reactions. If all you do is solve the technical problem and
walk away, chances are the customer will still be upset.

In these cases, simply saying something like, “Pain in the neck, isn’t it?” or “I hate when
that happens to me” can help the customer feel better about the situation and possibly feel
more positive about you.
9. Anticipate customer objections and questions: In his book The Art of War, the ancient
Chinese author and strategist Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and you know
yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Apply this principle when

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