The Invisible Customer

Hey I’m Not invisible, I’m the customer
By Paul Herbig

I often drive by the now defunct K-Mart building on North Wayne in Angola. While doing so this week I started thinking about the reasons for its demise. Certainly, Wal-Mart and Target had mass and both outsized their smaller competitor. But in the beginning it was K-Mart and then the others came (K-Mart had more stores and higher revenue than Wal-Mart even as recently as 1990). When and how did it lose its leadership? Its competitiveness?

I remember the “Thank you for shopping at K-Mart.” Repeating this mantra to all its customers was suppose to create a friendlier environment and propel repeat business. I guess like all superstitions, the thought is that if it is repeated enough times, people will believe it and it will become the truth (something like hanging “Our Job is Quality” posters on the walls at manufacturing plants and hoping, by osmosis, the workers will become more quality sensitive).

But the program backfired. Clerks wore badges and signs were posted around the store that indicated If the clerk failed to say those six holy words, you were to get a freebie. The clerks were told every morning to say those words, probably with threat of firing and dismemberment if forgotten (and secret shoppers were routinely sent in to evaluate the clerks on their utterance of the mantra). The result was a workforce whose rote mutterings were barely audible or understandable but did minimally meet the requirements of management. Words spoken entirely without emotion or meaning. Words spoken in machine-gun fashion whose only intent was to adhere to the fine print of the new company policy without engaging in the spirit intended.

And what about the customer? Did the customer smile brightly upon hearing those golden words, thank, in turn, the clerk, and make a promise before all those present he will never shop anywhere else but K-Mart. Right. You also believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus don’t you! So artificial, so meaningless, so idiotic was this exchange, the customer felt invisible and belittled. Did his business mean so little to K-Mart that they had to force their clerks to be polite? Shouldn’t clerks by nature just be human and friendly anyway? Is this a generational thing?

Being an invisible customer is a malady found in many establishments. The other day the boss (my wife) complained she entered a retail establishment and for five minutes the clerk stood behind the counter either talking on the phone or to another clerk, not even bothering leaving her post to see what she could do to help the customer. Not willing to stand and attempt to set a new Guinness book of Records for inattentiveness, Rachel left at the end of five minutes.

I am certain you have seen it before. Whereupon you, the customer, is made to feel like he is invisible and does not exist. The clerk on the phone to her boyfriend makes you feel like you are intruding on her time by interrupting her. The governmental official who knows the answer to your question but because of policy refuses to answer you. The stockboy in the grocery who, if he takes the time to help you, will be reprimanded by his superior for not making his quota. You’ve all been there. Done that.

So what to do? The superior marketer knows the customer always comes first. Don’t look through a customer as if he did not exist or ignore him as if his presence was lacking. Recognize the customer. Greet him or her. Be friendly. Be courteous and helpful. Even though that customer may not buy anything that time, he is likely to return or to describe his wonderful treatment you gave him to others who well could become major customers. A little kindness goes a long way and is often repaid a hundred times over.