Opinion: Customers, employees thrive with caring

Under normal circumstances, I could have easily resisted the temptation even after trying them on. After all, the last thing I needed was another pair of dress shoes. (Of course, there’s a difference between need and want, and “want” seemed to outweigh “need” to an extraordinary degree.)

What made the circumstances so unusual had nothing to do with the price, or the designer label or the exquisite beauty of the shoes. It was the salesman. He knew his stuff.

Before bringing me the shoe in the size I had requested, he measured my foot with one of those old-fashioned foot-measuring devices that measure width and length.

That impressed me, considering that of all the shoes I have purchased in a lifetime, there is no recollection of having my foot measured since about age 6.

Once he had the exact shoe size, he brought the shoes to me and, instead of shoving the box into my hands only to rush off to another customer, he knelt down to put the shoes on my foot with a shoehorn, taking pride in his job. It was clear to me that he cared about me as a customer.

“With the shape of your foot and the arch, you are going to be more inclined to find comfort in this particular designer’s styles,” he said. The salesman continued to educate me about shoe style and what to look for when I’m interested in comfort, how certain styles work better on certain foot shapes, and why certain designers charge more because of the construction. He also told me that the store only orders 12 pairs of the high-end styles. Sold!

I didn’t perceive the “12-pair scarcity” information as a sales tactic but as a statement of caring. That is because he listened to my needs, spent time with me, and educated me before trying to close the sale, thus ensuring that he had built trust. This salesman showed so much care in his customer service and made me reflect on this month’s Character Ed word: Caring.

A dictionary definition for caring is to have or show regard interest or concern, and another definition is to look after or provide for. The salesman showed regard and interest by educating me about my choices, and he showed concern that I get the right size by taking extra time measuring my food and educating me about the various styles, rather than handing me three pairs to try on and letting me guess. It’s not what you’d expect from a simple retail transaction.

Case in point: My husband Gerald was searching for some fencing material at a hardware store. He was not just looking but in fact was in the market to purchase.

It sounds like an easy sale; however, he thought that the product had been discontinued because it was no longer available in the store. When he approached the sales clerk, she led him to the department manager to help with the situation. The department manager shrugged his shoulders and gave him the name of the manufacturer and the toll-free number and thought no further about becoming a problem-solver for the customer.

When Gerald called the manufacturer, the representative knew exactly what product he was requesting and the rep said that the hardware store still carried the product. The manufacturing rep proceeded to give him the item number and catalog page of the product so that he could order the product from the department manager of the hardware store!

If my shoe salesman would have handled that transaction, I’m sure he would have done it differently. First, he would have called the manufacturer himself. Second, he would have pulled out the catalog for the customer to look through. Third, he would have placed the order on the first visit instead of expecting the customer to do the groundwork only to return to him with the order.

In the business world, caring is one of the most important attributes for success. When you show that you care for your employees, they become loyal to your company and help you to increase the bottom line. When you teach your sales staff and account executives how to care for customers, you increase your top line and create customer loyalty.

Marlene Chism, president of ICARE Presentations in Springfield, works with companies that want to build strong business relationships and with individuals who want to be better communicators.

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