Pay Attention to the Customer - Do Not Ignore the Customer

For anyone in the service industry, one of the most frustrating experiences must be seeing a customer ignored for whatever reason.   There is never a good reason to ignore a customer, and yet it happens all the time.   Blatantly noticeable, of course, are businesses that rely heavily on service, such as retail, food and beverage, tourism, and hospitality.     There really isn’t a business that is not affected by service.   If that is the case, why do we constantly see customers being ignored?   Is there anything more important than serving a customer?   The customer should always be the priority, and if not, he should become the priority, very quickly.   As we have identified previously, the customer may not always be right, but they must always be satisfied.   Certainly, ignoring a customer is not satisfying him. 

The other day, I patronized a well-known coffee establishment with a very prominent name.   The company grew dramatically, and today, you can literally find one of their shops on every corner in town.   While I did want to purchase a cup of coffee, I was more interested in watching the operation to see what I could learn about their successful formula with their staff and service.   Sadly, I was disappointed.   I watched several patrons “patiently” waiting their turn to buy a cup of coffee.   While the patrons waited and again patiently, I noticed the staff was engaged in a conversation with another staff member.   What could have been so important to ignore patrons with money in hand and eager to pay?  The two were seemingly very engaged and full of laughter.   Perhaps I was the only one disappointed and bordered on being annoyed at the time, but certainly, I can see consternation on the faces of those in line.  

Patience is a great virtue, but being ignored will surely take patience to its limits.

The staff seemed to believe that the customers should wait while they completed their conversation on their important subject.   When that is completed, they will attempt to serve the customer.   It was a painful scene to watch and even more difficult to understand.   How did this go so terribly wrong?  The answer seems insanely obvious.  Pay attention to your customers; everything else can wait!

That afternoon, I proceeded to a late lunch with several friends.   Following a pleasant lunch, it was time to settle the bill.   As it was well past the busy lunch hour, most of the crowd had departed, and there were only a few people left in the restaurant.  The restaurant was not big, and we were in open view of several staff members moving about.   Even as I gestured and smiled, and even waved, the staff seemed to have other thoughts on their mind.   Here I was, eager to pay and even eager to offer a gratuity.   However, being ignored certainly dampened the desire to do either.   Again, how did this go so terribly wrong?   Whatever was on the mind of the staff could not have been more important than serving the customer.  

The moral of the stories: Always pay attention to your customer and your business. 

Ignoring a customer is an unforgivable sin.  Ignoring a customer is ignoring the business.  What do you see when you go for a cup of coffee or dine out?  

Successful leaders spend excessive time and resources to battle this war, to ensure their customers are not ignored because they know the consequences.   Are they making progress?