Customer Service - through the eyes of a child

Customer Service – through the eyes of a child.

Ummm, that looks interesting, I’ve never seen it in that colour before.

 

‘Can I help you?’ said the lady shop assistant in a very abrupt tone.

 

‘No.  Thanks.’

What is she looking at?  I only looked because it seemed a little funny in that colour.  Stop staring at me.  Phew, she’s serving someone else.  She doesn’t look very happy.  I bet she hates her job.  Why can’t she smile when she’s talking to people?  I bet she gets tired everyday doing this.  It must be nice meeting all these different people, but I bet she must get some really horrible ones.

‘Are you buying anything?’

‘Errrm….’

 

‘Look, I’ve got other customers to serve.  Are you lost?’

 

Wow - she called me a ‘customer’. That’s nice.  I wonder if she calls all people ‘customer’, or is it just me?  Should I tell her my name?  No, she’s not interested in that.  I wonder what her name is?

‘What’s your name?’

‘I beg your pardon!’

 

She’s a little scary when she looks like that. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Miss.’

‘No, what’s your first name?’

‘Why do you want to know?’

 

Gosh, why is she being so horrible.

 

‘Because it’s nice to know someone’s name.’

 

‘Oh, and why’s that?’

‘Well, because you become…sort of…real.’

‘Real, eh. Umm.  Ok, my name’s Sheila. What’s yours?’

‘My name’s Eric.’

 

‘Nice to meet you Eric.’

 

‘Are you happy?’

 

‘Well, you certainly know how to get straight to the point’, she said, and then contemplated for a couple of seconds. ‘That’s an interesting question’, she said, warming to him slightly. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘You don’t look happy.’

‘Oh don’t I?’

 

‘No, you never smile.’

 

‘Oh, I see, well, it’s a little difficult to smile at times.’

 

‘Why?’

‘Because of a lot of things, a bit of tiredness, dealing with customers who are grumpy or argumentative.’

‘But if you smiled, they would smile back.  My Gran said that when you smile the whole world smiles with you.’

She chuckled to herself. ‘Well, what words of wisdom from your Gran, and I think she may have borrowed those words from an old song, but she’s right.  Hmm. OK, I’ll give it a go.  Now, what else have you to say?’

‘Well, you can’t just smile.  You have to be happy.’

‘Be happy eh, that easy.’

‘Yes, if you think happy thoughts then it makes you happy, and if you’re happy others will be happy.  My Gran said that happiness is inflectious and if you’re happy then so will others be.’

‘I think you mean infectious.  Yes, I can see how your Gran thinks.’

 

‘So, she said be happy, and others will be happy as well.’

‘OK, I’ll give it a go.  Anything else?’

‘No, I think that’s all my Gran says, and she says that has worked for her.’

 

‘Umm, you and your Gran are very right.’

‘Eric! There you are.  I’ve been looking for you all over the shop,’ said the young woman walking briskly across the shop floor.

‘Hi Mummy, this is Shelia,’ said Eric.

 

‘Hello Sheila’, said the young woman.  Turning back to Eric she said, ‘What have you been doing?’

 

‘He’s been giving me some very wise words of wisdom,’ Sheila interrupted. ‘He’s a very wise young man.’

‘Thank you for looking after him,’ said Eric’s mum.

‘My pleasure,’ said the shop assistant. ‘Goodbye Eric, and thank you.’

 

As Eric walked away he got near the door and turned his head round.  He noticed a rather frustrated customer go to the counter.  He saw Sheila smile and greet the customer warmly.  The customer warmed to Sheila’s smile.  Sheila glanced across to Eric, and mouthed ‘Thank you.’

 

Eric smiled to himself as he walked out of the shop holding his mother’s hand.