I need to ship a guitar.
I didn’t want to go dumpster diving in the high desert of Southern California, with the rattlesnakes and tarantulas, so I opted to purchase a box.
I head to the local Staples (@Staples) store to buy a box large enough to hold this guitar.
I approached a store clerk who tried to help me look for a box that might work, but nothing would make the cut.
He then said, “Hold on right there, let me go look in the warehouse.”
I wait a few minutes.
He comes back with a large, slender box–just the exact size I needed.
He says, “You can take it for free. I hope it works!”
I thanked him several times and walked out of the store with my free box. I then eventually returned the very next day to ship the box from the same store (instead of another one closer) as a thank you.
2 Easy Ways to Not Turn Your Customer Away
Don’t Say NO
So, they didn’t have the box size I needed. But, instead of telling me “NO” and sending me out to hit the road, they worked with me. Sure, they made no money off of me at this point, but they sure did turn my impression of Staples into a positive one–that I shall remember. We stress this often on our blog–how can you become a DJ and put your own positive spin on the “no” answer for customers?
Find Creative Solutions
Sure, you can’t resolve every issue. But, the one’s you can resolve–those that are a bit tricky, as in the one where they had nothing in their inventory to fit my needs–be creative. This store clerk went above and beyond by walking into the warehouse, off of the floor, and finding me this perfect sized box. You may not always have what fits right in front of you–but what can you find behind the scenes, a work around so to say, that may also do the trick?
See, super easy ways to help you customer, even when what you need may not be available right away.
Staples lived up to their catchphrase and made it super easy for me to get what I needed. Thanks Staples!
