Dear Uncle Marty,
Not long ago, I attended one of Sarah Rohde’s presentations on customer service. In it, she mentioned some phrases that are overused in today’s business world. The one that stuck in my mind that she asked us to avoid is “How are you?” I say that all the time when customers walk in, and now that I’m aware of it I realize that I am just saying it out of habit and without meaning. What do you think?
Repeating myself,
Pete the Parrot
Dear Pete,
I’m so happy that Sarah hits on this topic in her seminars. It’s something that drives me bonkers as well—truly a pet peeve—and yet I find myself in the same trap, overusing disingenuous phrases quite often.
The number one phrase that has lost its meaning is the one you mentioned: “How are you?” This phrase is a very nice sentiment when it’s asked genuinely. But usually those that ask are total strangers who just say it simply because it’s a habit—a cultural norm. Why not replace that phrase with something else and create a new habit? Try saying, “Hello! Welcome to (your store’s name)!”
Probably the second worst offender is “Have a nice day.” I’ll bet 80% of American merchants say this to folks as they’re leaving. Sure, it’s a sweet thought and a beautiful thing to wish someone. But it too is said primarily out of habit. So why not create a call to action? How about saying, “Please come back soon!” or “Please follow us on Facebook!” or “Thank you for your business!”
“How may I help you?” is another one to avoid. Saying this implies that the person is in some way helpless. Simply changing this to “What may I do for you today?” puts the customer on a pedestal.
“Is that all you need today?” can be changed to “May I do anything additional for you today?” and therefore the conversation is changed from being unsure if you’ve met the customer’s needs to putting yourself in a place of service.
The point isn’t to condemn people who use these common phrases. The point is to make people aware that they’re saying something that has lost a lot of meaning in our repetitive interactions; to encourage thoughts about replacing go-to vocabulary with something unique and relative; to make subtle changes that could improve your image and make your store stand out.
I promise that customers will notice and positive impressions will be made!
Please write back soon,
Marty
#AskUncleMarty #MarketingwithMarty
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A version of this article was originally published in the September 2015 issue of MBC Today.
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Source: AMBC Blog