What I Have Learned From My Customers and Myself as a Buyer

The lady who lives upstair from me lately asked me if I would go with her on a shopping spree. Well, shopping is not something I am particularly fond of but I like the lady so went along. She told me she had lots of money to spend on new clothes, but she did not like to go shopping alone as she found that three things happened to her when she did. She was ignored because she was older. The invisible woman is the woman over 65, she said. She would be put in a position of using technology that she did not understand. Or she would be taken advantage of not understanding how things work now days. She told me about going to a big department store here in Portland, Oregon. She wanted to buy a silk nightgown. The clerk kept trying to get her to buy a flannel nightie. She did not want a flannel nightie. She tried to make the clerk understand this, but the clerk was stuck in old ladies wear flannel. My friend was embarrassed and finally left without buying anything. How sad my older friend who is sharp and bright, had to be embarrassed like that. Sometimes businesses do not understand what the customer is looking for in service. Most people no matter what their age want the same kind of treatment. They want to be treated like a person, not a stereotype. People do not want to be treated as a username, a number, or a new contact. Companies have automatized things to the point that it is a shock to talk to a real person. I called this morning got a computer voice. The computer voice said tell me why you are calling today and gave me about ten options. None of the above was not one of them. Then when I tried some of the options the computer said, I am sorry I just did not understand. We went through this for a good ten minutes before I got a real person on the line. This kind of treatment is frustrating and dehumanizing. After seven or eight calls like this I was almost ready to cry. I am a calm person so I know that people who are not so calm must find this even more frustrating. The other thing my friend pointed out to me which as an owner of a business was an eye opener or just a reminder of my own experiences, that she wanted value for her money. Lowest price was not the seller for her, but how she was treated, how the product held up, how the company kept their word. Now when I do personal customer service, I go that extra mile to the customer. Sometimes it is frustrating because I know the customer is working me. I have good boundaries and so I only go so far at being used like that. But I do go the extra mile. I listen to what the customer says, first and foremost. I ask them what they are looking for today and I mean it. I actively listen to what is most important to them. In other words, I give them personal service. This goes along ways. I have had repeat customers for years. I tend to do things the old fashion way but for me it has paid off. I remember names. I remember things like what kind of clothing my customers are looking for, this works with the little old grandmas I work with and the punk rock kids. I call them when I have something in that I know they would like. I have a whole group that love 50's and 60's clothing. I make notes on just a card index so that I remember their favorite colors, styles, their birthdays. I call them when I get this kind of items in. I offer no hassle returns. These things work for me. Judi Singleton is the owner, operator of Bejewelu.com Where you can dress the whole family for less