Sunday, August 28, 2011

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

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Party-Timers

People Behind the Counters (PBC's) are still people.  People are capable of making mistakes.  People are also capable of being jerks.

Work is not an enjoyable place to be.  That is the very reason people get paid to do it.  Past a certain point in one's life, having a job becomes a necessity.  However, before the absolute finality of the real world imposes itself upon us, there is the trial work experience known as the "part-time job".  Part-time jobs are ways to earn a little extra spending money.  Part-time jobs are generally held by students but there is a trend for those impacted by the current economic situation.  Regardless of who is in the PBC position, attitude counts.

The expectations of customer service are as simple as they are frustrating because they go against our instincts to have the last word.  The phrase "the customer is always right" is deeply ingrained in our society and is often how many customers justify their actions as a Barista Bully.  On the other side of this issue is the basic fact: Customer Service is about making the customer happy.

One of the most often observed ways to encourage a customer to become a Barista Bully is for the PBC to deliberately ignore them for no observable reason.  Wandering around a department store trying to find a specific department, or a PBC to ask if they might carry the item, approaching a counter with intended purchases and patiently waiting for assistance only for the PBC to be visibly annoyed that they have to stop what they are doing (a conversation with another PBC or friend, texting, reading a book, day dreaming etc...) in order to help them.  This is unlike other situations where a PBC might be visibly irritated with a customer for a more justifiable reason: the PBC is clearly in the middle of a task that can't be put down half finished, a customer on their cell phone at the check out,  digging every item out of pockets or purses to find a coupon/card, lack of listening skills when asked a question, paying entirely in change, asking a series of overly specific questions while a line forms and so on.

In the first mentioned scenario, the customer has followed basic retail common sense: approach a PBC when you need them to find something or to pay.  The PBC has failed the first rule of having a customer service job: do your job when someone is watching.

The notion that all work is suffering is, in this case, self-fulfilling.  By actively avoiding the basic job requirement (help the customer), the PBC has lined themselves up to look bad in the customer's eyes and more importantly, in that moment they have become a reminder of everything that customer has to be upset about.  The time and effort required to handle the customer would undoubtedly have taken less energy if the PBC had walked over versus making the customer wait and get aggravated. 

This is not to say that while at work, a PBC must always stand at the ready, eager and willing to help any and all customers with a genuine smile and a high level of work ethic.  The point is that while at work, recognizing the primary and secondary aspects of the job (customer service and assigned mini tasks) makes it easy to identify the required components to a rapid completion of the shift with minimal abject torture.  This means, getting all the work related tasks done possible while at work makes the day go by faster and keeps customers from crossing over to the dark side.  

The expenditure of energy wasted on finding ways to avoid work can in many situations cause more disgruntlement. Aside from the unnecessary stress of switching back and forth from "work mode" to "non-work mode", customers actions are impacted by the appearance of the work place (how clean/stocked/organized/welcoming everything is), PBC appearance (basic hygiene/facial expression/clothes) and PBC attitude.  The efficiency of focusing on the job rather than the thousand and one little aspects that grate on your nerves has the potential to leave the PBC with a fresh mind for personal life issues as well and the energy to explore their options. 

Simple awareness of the circumstances and situation is the easiest way for a PBC to be proactive in their efforts to not encounter a Barista Bully.  Socializing and taking breaks during the work day can help ease tensions as long as the PBC retains the important knowledge that they are being paid to be where they are and it is up to them how much resentment they will leave the day with.  

It is true that there is always work to be done, but the imperative thing to remember is that by consistently following through with work expectations, PBC's are actually easing their work load.  Next time a PBC will be able to focus on quick tasks so that a customer in need of assistance isn't a major interruption to their day.

Party-Timers: A PBC who regards their work day as a hindrance to their social life and strives to make sure every day is a party with little interruption from killjoys (customers) as possible. General opinions and attitudes about work are negative so they think about what they want to do versus what they have to do till they are free next.

If you have a story or a topic you would like me to discuss on this blog feel free to e-mail all the relevant details  (minus the specific names of the people and places involved) to: baristabullyblogger@gmail.com

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Inside Voices

What's the Point?
Yesterday I told several of my friends my intention to start a blog.  I even sent them my first post.  One of my friends (the witty and helpful Matt Foss) commented back to me two simple, but thought provoking words: "stupid customers".  That concise statement brought to my attention that if I'm going to continue with this blog that I must be certain of what I am doing.  And why.  The purpose of this blog is not to condemn customers nor is it to defend PBC's.  This is about reactions.  Positive reactions, negative reactions and all that comes in between.  Both PBC's and customers are human, and thus prone to making mistakes.  By sharing examples of the best and worst customer/PBC interactions I want to discuss how we can all function in the real world and not be a horrible person at the same time.

INSIDE VOICES
When I see a PBC make a mistake, perhaps mistyping a digit when entering an order number, or dropping a product on the floor I could easily understand how the consumer would be unhappy.  Such displeasure is easy to express.  For example: "Would you mind grabbing me a new *dropped product*?" or "Could you please enter the number one more time?".  By using an Inside Voice, these requests are considered reasonable and it is more than likely the PBC will comply.  Even if the product that was dropped was the only one in the store, or while entering the order number the computer freezes up, the continued use of an Inside Voice combined with normal breathing patterns can bring about a resolution to the situation without raising your blood pressure or the eyebrows of passers-by.

As the problem continues (the dropped item has been discontinued, there is one of the item in stock at a store 20 miles away and they can't transfer it to the store closer to you nor can they hold it, the order number entered was not the correct one etc.), it can be difficult to maintain our patience, not to mention our steady use of the Inside Voice. We are all busy people. We have things to do, kids to pick up, papers to write, appointments to keep, rush hour traffic, dinner and we didn't plan for this.  We can't sit around waiting for this idiot to do their job, we don't have time.  What the hell is taking so long? I demand satisfaction sir!
.
.
.
.
.
And ... scene.

That little train of thought seemed fairly reasonable at the start, didn't it?  In fact, up until the last sentence you probably found yourself agreeing with most if not all of the sentiments.  Which is the point.  The appropriateness of the reaction and response to a PBC's error.  Frustration, irritability, and exasperation are all to be expected when a visit to the store doesn't go as smoothly as we would hope.  Humans, by nature have emotions.  But notice how quickly that hypothetical train of thought escalated to anger?  How long would you have before you would reach that point?  One minute?  Five minutes?  How about twenty minutes?  Would the fact that the PBC is trying to help remind you to keep the conversation between the two of you versus the entire store?  What about the incentive of cash?  Cold hard cash to have patience just a little bit longer.  Would that work? Apparently it does sometimes.

Of course we can't expect that there will be a hidden camera and an undercover actor to give us money for our understanding of the difficult situation we were forced to endure. So what will remind us to watch our reaction time?  How do we increase our patience?  You could watch grass grow, paint dry, or concrete set.  You can take up yoga or meditative breathing. You can learn new time management techniques to allow for the surprise of things going easy or maybe you have a stress reducing strategy of your own that you like to use, like counting back in your head from 10 every time you start to get angry, because believe me, the PBC doesn't like you when your angry.  It seems like a lot to ask to do all that work just so you won't yell the next time you return a pair of jeans that didn't quite fit.  But consider, why should the PBC get any less thought than any other person you interact with?  Is it because they are behind the counter? Would you be more inclined to be civil if they stood next to you? Would their use of the Inside Voice help you to remember you have one too?  What does it take to dig deep and pull out that extra bit of patience so your Shopping Situation doesn't leave everyone with a bitter taste in their mouth?

What is an "Inside Voice"? It's the volume of voice all parents and teachers ask for of any child who has yet to learn that the person next to them in any room can hear them just fine, and will continue to hear them just fine as long as they continue to use their Inside Voice.

What I ask of you:
When I go out I don't actively watch for Barista Bullies or Retail Ragers or Crazed Consumers.  I go out, but sometimes they are just there.  Presumably you do the same.  You get up and go out not anticipating an encounter.  But maybe you'll be on an errand and you'll see a customer or a PBC who has reached the end of their proverbial rope, or you were involved in a situation and you want to share your experience or you struck up a conversation with a friend/co-worker/PBC and they shared some stories.  However you come by it I encourage you to send me as many of the event details as you can, leaving out the identifying details (such as names of persons involved as well as the location of the business).  What was the problem? Where did you see it? (i.e. - coffee shop, grocery store, gas station, the mall etc.)  When did it happen?  How did it end?  Even if you were a spectator (because the PBC/customer looked like they had it under control, getting involved would have made the situation worse, the customer/PBC was a shining example of human decency and you were in awe of their poise and grace in the face of a slight deterrent to their shopping/dining experience etc.), send it in to: baristabullyblogger@gmail.com

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Origins of the term "Barista Bully"

Have you ever waited to pay for your coffee while the customer at the register yells at the barista behind the counter?  What about at a big retail store while you waited your turn in the returns line?  Or maybe you were at a restaurant and you happen to overhear a dissatisfied diner?  At some point in your life you have probably been shopping and witnessed an uncomfortably loud exchange between a customer and a person behind the counter (PBC),  Perhaps you shook your head and felt bad for the PBC.  Perhaps you shook your head and agreed with the person yelling,  Perhaps you shook your head and walked away, determined not to get involved because it's certainly none of your business.

Unfortunately, that last point is a common occurrence.  Why is that?  Does it even matter what the person is yelling about?  Probably not.  What matters is the customer wants something: A refund on a purchase, an item that isn't in stock, for the store to accept a coupon, an upgrade, etc. and the PBC is unable or unwilling to provide that.  The customer isn't happy that they aren't getting what they want and the PBC doesn't have many options:

1) They can say no and risk the customer taking their business elsewhere.

2) They do what the customer wants (even if it is against their company's policies).

3) They can call in someone with more options to offer.

Many times the PBC is able to choose one of these options and life can go on.  But hold on, what if they choose Option #1 and instead of the customer walking away they start yelling?  They have raised their voice, startling the PBC and maybe other people around them.  They are drawing attention to themselves and the employee they are dealing with.  Depending on the situation this can be very intimidating, certainly so for employees who are new or not very high up in chain of command.  Yelling is an aggressive behavior and the PBC can't escape to a less stressful location.  They're trapped dealing with the unhappy customer.

Asking the person to lower their voice can have the opposite effect.  Yelling back at the customer is even worse.  The customer is putting pressure on the PBC to do what they want.  They may indicate that they are no longer willing to do business with that company and they will spread the word to others to do the same.  In this day and age, social media makes that a very easy to execute threat.  Make no mistake, that is a threat.  The PBC may try to offer alternative options, such as a free food item or a discount coupon or the number of a customer service hotline or even granting the original request.  The PBC is no longer able to stand behind their answer of "no". Was a supervisor able to step in and solve the problem?  What if that didn't make the customer happy or there was no supervisor available?  Did you intervene to diffuse the situation?  What if the customer turns on you next?

The PBC has been bullied into rewarding the yelling customer so they can get out of a stressful situation.  The customer feels justified that their behavior was appropriate and acceptable because no one stepped in and stopped it.  The PBC is left upset/scared/angry/alone/uncertain or all of the above.  It doesn't matter if the customer was big or small, male or female, young or old, what matters is the customer intentionally caused the PBC to experience fear to one degree or another.  Whether or not the customer was right, they have acted like a bully and by getting their way they may bully again.

What is a "Barista Bully"?  Someone who yells at the PBC about their coffee.  Just coffee, this time.