Customer’s First Impression

Greet the Customer Immediately No Matter What

I was on the sales floor a few minutes ago and a guy came in and walked all the way to the back of the store before a salesperson met him. I had already been talking to him for a minute or two.

People should not even get a few feet into the store without being greeted immediately by their salesperson. If you are doing something, quickly jot some kind of note so you can come back to it, but get up immediately and take care of the customer.

Looking at it from the customer’s perspective, when he comes in he is greeted by Reception. Then he starts walking into the main store. If he glances to his right and sees 2-6 people sitting at desks, he will assume that they are ALL salespeople. If I was that person, I would wonder why 2-6 people are not jumping up to help me, the customer.

This may sound trivial to some of you but being greeted by a salesperson immediately shows the customer that THEY ARE IMPORTANT. This is the first of many positive things they will experience in dealing with you all (because you are all great) so let’s not waste it.

If it is your up and you need 30 seconds more (and it should be the RARE occasion that you even need that) send an assistant immediately to say, “Hi Customer, I am X and Logan/Teri/Lisa/Bianca will be right with you. Welcome to Leo’s!” or something to that affect.

People should not have to wait when there is staff sitting in plain view to them, including assistants, as the customer does NOT know you are an assistant, especially if it is their first time in.

Always Treat People Well Even if They’re Not Dressed Well

Some years ago, I sent out a letter asking people, “Why have you not returned to buy again?” and got some interesting replies. One reason came up several times.

These people said that when they came in, they felt ignored, or not helped, or looked down upon. In each case, the person admitted that they were not “well dressed” or were even very casually dressed (like shorts and flip-flops), and felt they were not treated well, were not acknowledged, or only partially acknowledged because of how they were dressed.

In each case, they said that they would never return to our store again.

The lesson to be learned is this:

People consider themselves valuable, and they want to be treated as such, regardless of what they look like. This is not hard to understand but it easy to forget.

My best customer during the first 5 years of our company was a farmer from El Centro (100 miles east of here.) He dressed in old jeans, old shoes, and never looked like a millionaire. But he was and he spent big money. He is probably worth $5-10 million and you would NEVER know it. He spoke very simple English and was a very regular guy. He wore an inexpensive watch and no other jewelry except a ladies ruby ring on his pinky. He collected rubies. He bought a lot of them for his wife. He spent big and could have spent bigger.

The point is that when someone comes in that does not “look the part” of a big spender, don’t let yourself be fooled. Simple clothing means nothing. If they are dirty and stink, that is different, but simple dress means nothing.

Let’s treat everyone like a millionaire and we can’t go wrong.