Today I tried to buy an iPod.
Tried, and failed.
Why?
Image by Seattle Municipal Archives via FlickrBecause the sales staff in the three stores I went to just didn't want to know. It was a somewhat surreal experience for me. Normally I shop for electronics online, but today I wanted to buy a product and use it today. I was a willing customer, ready to try out the products and with money to spend, in fact I could probably have been persuaded to buy a more expensive version than the one I went in for. However, I was treated with variously, disdain, disinterest, and downright disrespect. Not only did the retailers make no effort to locate the product I wanted (which was out of stock), but they lied to me about the reasons and made no effort to sell an alternative, order one for me etc. etc. All the things a motivated and engaged saleperson might do. Several of them even failed to make eye contact, and I'm pretty sure I saw one of them roll his eyes at having to break off a conversation with a colleague to serve me. My reaction in such cases?Walk.
Then Tweet.
Then Facebook.
Then blog.
What does this mean for the company? Reputational damage, lost sales, wasted showrooms. Haven't electrical retailers got enough to worry about with the threats to their businesses from their online competitors, without actively discouraging sales in their stores. Haven't they got enough PR problems without causing potential customers like myself to have a little rant about their poor service online? It seems not.
The eerie quiet in both Currys and Comet was telling. Not only have they lost out on price to the online stores, but it seems they've given up on service.
It makes me wonder whether the Internet is having far broader implications for business and business skills than we've even imagined. If we lose our ability to engage as humans in a sales process, then I think we've lost something of value in our society. Don't get me wrong, I can't stand being pestered by pushy salespeople. Neither do I expect sycophancy and obsequiousness. What I expect is to be treated with respect, to be able to buy the products I want with good advice, and for buying to be a pleasurable experience. I work hard to earn my money, and every now and then I'd like to enjoy spending it.
So, what have we lost? Well, it's not simply salesmanship that we're losing - it's a service culture, and more than that a joy in our work. Clearly the employees in the places I visited this morning lacked any sense of responsibility, pride, and equally clearly they were not enjoying their work. They didn't even seem to be working on any incentive system based on sales. I am incredulous because I know it doesn't have to be that way.
Back when I was a student I worked in a soulless out of town shopping centre as a sales assistant for a major fashion retailer. The hours were long and anti-social, the pay was rubbish, the staff facilities cramped, and taking all this into account it could have been an incredibly boring and unrewarding job, but it wasn't.
Why not?
Culture.
Plain and simple.
The company used to train its staff using the Pike Place 'FISH' principle. If you haven't heard of this, take a look at the video of the Pike Place Fish Stall at the Seattle Farmer's Market below. The method is based on making work (and particularly sales work) fun, friendly and social for everyone. The customer gets a better experience, the staff enjoy themselves and are motivated; it's a win-win. I was not a natural at selling, but thrived in this environment where everyone had shared targets and we were incentivised as a team.
Where has this emphasis on service culture gone? Certainly in our major retailers it seems to be lower and lower on the list of priorities. It has driven me back to buying online in this case (I refuse to buy from a company that treats me badly), but I wonder also whether it offers an opportunity for independents. Those who can, and want to, add value by training their staff well, providing the best customer experience and therefore helping people spend their money in the ways they want to. I'll certainly be first in the queue...
