Being Consistent – Greeting Customers

Greeting each other is one of the fundamentals of communication and the beginning to a positive interaction. Through this, we can connect on a more personal level. Engaging someone without a greeting would seem intrusive, nasty and even negative. But with a warm and sincere greeting, people are more prone to open up, bring down defensive walls, and be comfortable.

The first ten seconds of an interaction with a customer pretty much determines whether they will do business with you, or take their business elsewhere. If you get off on the “wrong foot”, no greeting, the rest of the interaction will probably not fare any better. Your greeting sets the tone for your interaction. Through these couple of seconds, you’re letting the customer know a lot about you as a salesman, a person, and what kind of values the company holds.
We know Greeting the Customer is really important, but how do you achieve a good greeting.

– Eye contact and a smile are the foundation to Greeting a Customer.

– Introduce yourself even if you have a name tag. This makes the greeting more personal.

– Be observant of the customer to make the greeting even more personal. For example, if a customer comes in sweating from the heat, a good greeting would be, “Really hot out. Would like to cool off a bit? Or would you like some water?” This shows you care about the customer more than just another transaction.

– Give the customer their personal space. About two feet between you and them.

– Most importantly, be sincere and genuine

It’s astounding how a simple and effortless gesture can impact, and pay off, for a customer and a pawnbroker. That is why it is extremely important to have this as a mandatory customer service practice. Everyday. Every customer.