In a meeting with a wireless carrier someone brings up the fact that 60–70% of their customers traffic comes there for service. We had heard this since the early 90s. So, we ask them how this might affect their salespeople’s ability to get the job done.

One manager says, ‘Our salespeople are in a tight squeeze. They get paid on sales and have to make their quotas. At the same time, we expect them to take care of customers who come in to pay their bills, complain, ask for help deciphering their bills, or upgrade their service.’

Another says, ‘Some of our markets are so small, that they cannot support a larger store operation.’ We have even heard and seen some small wireless stores with a staff of one or two people. So, how can you justify the separation of sales from customer service?

Is it possible that you are asking salespeople to do things that reduce their ability to make money? If you worked in a store, and you knew that Customer A was coming in to look at new service, and Customer B was coming in because she didn’t understand her bill, which one would you want to approach? Drop your defenses, and be candid. Which one?   And then think of this: How might you feel if over half of your customers were like Customer B?

Another consider is this: Can you find a single individual who has both the aptitude and balance of personality traits to be both empathetic & patient in customer service and enthusiastic and persuasive in sales? Some may argue that they know of people in the stores that perform well in both sales and customer service activities. Certainly exceptional people can serve both functions. But my observations over the last 38 years in electronics retailing suggest that these people are few and far between.

Finally, when a customer service problem spills over to the selling floor it spoils the mood of the new customers. Let’s say you went to shop for a new car. On the showroom floor were all the latest models. And in the middle of the floor was a single hub of activity, that handled both you and everyone who needed service for their cars. Might you think twice about that gleaming new beauty, if you heard a loud complaint from last week’s customer who was having trouble with his transmission?

I visited a wireless store in Little Rock. As you come in, your eye follows the contour of a large display area to the left. To the right you find special displays of featured products and services.  Towards the center, at the far side of the store, a sign directs those who need customer service to a separate room. There they find a comfortable and private area dedicated to solving their problems.

Let’s say you surveyed their customers, who had come into this store with service issues. Let’s say you asked them how they felt about going into a separate area to have their problems resolved. How do you think they might feel about the experience? How might their experience compare with the alternative of being mixed in with the sales department? Do you think they might feel better, worse, or about the same?

Let’s say you surveyed the salespeople of a store like this. How do you think they might respond, if you told them you were going to get rid of the separate area and merge the sales and customer service activities together? What might they think?

∏ It’s OK. I understand that my base pay compensates me for
spending 60% of my time handling customer service problems.

∏ My job is to take care of all of my customers and I appreciate the
opportunity to get involved in the Big Picture.

∏ If the company insists, of course I will comply, but I just know
that this will hurt my sales.

∏ I wonder what the company-thinking is behind this decision?

∏ ohnoOO!

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