Thank You Black Friday For Teaching Me How To Multitask As Customer Service Provider

Till this day the most impactful and life changing position I’ve ever held, was being a salesperson for Nordstrom. If I could equate the experience to anything, it would be the equivalent of being thrown into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim.

Now, the picture I painted in your mind may seem like a very frightening one but I choose to see it as a valuable experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. No matter the lessons you learn, it’s important to see everything as an opportunity to learn. Let’s get into the meat of this blog post: How I learned the art of multitasking.

There is no greater time of the year than the holidays as a customer service provider because let’s face it, you’re guaranteed to make the most revenue. Customers are in high spirits, and are always looking for the next best deal to purchase presents for their loved ones. Even though there’s a positive to this, the negative aspect is the fact that things can easily become stressful.

I was so excited about how much money I would make on Black Friday but nothing could prepare me for what would actually happen. It was 4:45 in the morning, and everyone in their respective departments were preparing themselves for the incoming surge. Excitement was in the air with a hint of nervousness. As soon as the clock struck 5AM, the doors swung open and a large mob of people rushed in like a stampede.

The Madness

Women, men and even children grabbed every pair of shoes that caught their eye. I had managed to snag a customer looking for a specific shoe in her size but as I walked back into the stockroom, another customer asked me if I could check on a shoe for her as well. So now what seemed like a quick transaction, turned into an extended hunt for two totally different pairs of shoes. As I frantically rushed throughout the stockroom looking for shoes, all I could think about was how I needed to hurry up or I would potentially lose out on two sales.

Luckily I was able to find both pairs, but as I walked out I noticed that both of my customers had picked more pairs of shoes. “What am I going to do?” was all I could think about. I couldn’t afford to let this opportunity pass me by, so I thought of a great plan that would save me time and appease two impatient customers. I introduced them both to each other and sat them both together in a secluded area away from the Black Friday bustle.

What I did next was an effective trick I learned from my manager: I brought back glasses of champagne for each of them. This was a great way to show them that I valued their business and also that I cared about them. As I walked back to the stockroom, I received a nod approval from my manager signaling how proud he was of me.

15 minutes later, I emerged back from the stockroom to find both my customers laughing and enjoying themselves. It seemed like they had developed a good friendship so far, which made me quite happy. They both ended up purchasing no less than 3 pairs of shoes from me. A week later, one of them came back and purchased more shoes from me, and told me that she truly valued my insight and how hardworking I was. My manager had heard news of the great review my customers had left me, and personally wrote a recommendation letter to have me promoted to the designer shoes department.

I had no idea that improvising and using a tactic I had learned through observation would grant me a promotion a month later. This experience was by far my most memorable one. The day before I was to leave my current department for my new one, my manager gave me one final piece of advice that reshaped my entire view on customer service: “Always treat every single customer like they will be your last. How do you want them to remember you?”.

In Conclusion

It’s essential to create an environment for a customer in which they can feel comfortable, because they will be more likely to trust your judgement. If you’re not able to do so in person there’s many ways to do so. For example if you’re on the phone with a customer and are waiting for your computer to boot up, you could make small conversations with them. It’ll make them feel less like a transaction and more like a valued member of a community.

Are you more likely to remember a customer service provider who is kind-hearted and asks about your day, or one who simply acts as if you’re just another sale to acquire? I’m sure a large majority of us will pick the more kind-hearted service provider. One company that continues to excel at this practice is Chick-Fil-A. I believe one of the main reasons why they’re constantly swamped with a drive-thru full of customers is because of how caring and attentive they are.

We could all learn from companies like Chick-Fil-A because they sell you an experience, which I strived to put into practice during my time as a customer service provider at Nordstrom. Even the smallest of things can bring an enormous return on investment. I’m a huge advocate of always putting your best foot forward in every encounter you have with a customer, because they could easily be your last.