Boundaries

Customer service has grey areas when it comes to how friendly a PBC should be.  It can also be difficult to gauge how much information a customer should share with the PBC.  When the PBC is a pharmacist it can be essential to share many personal details to ensure the appropriate level of service.  However if the PBC is a clerk in a clothing store in the mall, it is probably considered over sharing to explain that you need a hot outfit for a date because you haven't had any in a while.

So how is one to determine where the line is?  There are boundaries both the PBC and the customer should be aware of as a base line.

Physical boundaries:  So when is physical contact crossing into unacceptable boundaries?  Placing your hand on someone's back is generally not considered professionally acceptable unless you are in a position of trust, such as a banker, lawyer or accountant.  The person who is serving your meal probably doesn't want you to touch their arm or to pat their leg.  The customer who came in looking for toilet paper doesn't need to be dragged/pushed like a small child to the paper goods aisle.

Shaking hands is a common practice both for introductions and professional greetings, just remember that both the PBC and the customer may have had other meetings before the current handshake.  You should ask yourself, how often do you wash your hands? Maintaining good hygiene is a sign of respect and will help ensure that neither party offends with sticky/dirty/germ laced hands.  Treat professional physical greetings professionally.  This isn't a buddy you haven't seen in years that you have to give a chest/fist bump bear hug to or gal pal you would jump up and down with in excitement.  It's not personal, it's business.  

Repeat customers provide an "exception" to the Physical Boundaries rule.  In situations where a maintaining a professional relationship is essential to good business, both the customer and the PBC can fall into friendly interactions, often asking after each others families or non-work activities. This doesn't have to be a forced conversation as the personality of both the PBC and the customer can dictate how amicable the interaction will be.  Long time customers can choose to have a more formal business friendship and a PBC can decide to welcome a customer into their social life. It's all about the level of expressed trust and communication.

Non-Physical Boundaries: Small talk and polite conversation are essential components to the consumer world.  Whether one is waiting for a car to be brought around from a mechanic, a TV to be located in a back room or a simple chat with the person washing you hair, it is very likely that having a short conversation is preferable to standing/sitting awkwardly in silence.  The old standards for "safe" small talk topics are: Weather, Current Events, Sports and Entertainment.  Granted, PBC's don't have to rigidly adhere to these areas, especially if the customer is willing to discuss other subjects, but generally speaking these areas offer a wide range of non-controversial conversation starters.  It is not considered acceptable practice for a customer to ask a question about a PBC's personal life without the PBC having expressly made this topic open to discuss.  On the other side, it is inappropriate for a PBC to complain about how frustrated they are with some issue outside of work (i.e - An upcoming test, their roommate's irritating habits, their less than PG friendly weekend, etc) to a customer who didn't ask. Comments about a PBC or customer's physical attractiveness is ALWAYS a bad idea, a topic to be avoided at all costs.  These kind of comments are inappropriate because the PBC can't simply tell a customer off, and the customer may feel very uncomfortable returning to that place of business. Refrain from forcing comments and responses on an uncomfortable party.  Even if you have interacted more than once, keep in mind the effect your comment has and the other person's reaction. If the comment you wish to make is something you could say to a complete stranger on the street, you are likely safe.  Unless you are a horrible person who has no sense of social cues or common decency.  Then you are likely to be banned or fired.

As with Physical Boundaries, the exception to this rule is long time or repeat customers.  In these cases the appropriate topic of conversation is subject to the level of comfort between the PBC and customer.  Sometimes this may remain within the realm of Small Talk, or it could move into more controversial subjects like Politics, Religion or even telling dirty jokes. 

The way a customer or PBC presents themselves can determine how an encounter is going and one should keep in mind to read (not feel) the body language and comments of their conversation partner.

If you have examples you would like to share or a topic you would like to see discussed here in the future, please feel free to contact me at: baristabullyblogger@gmail.com