Suggested Answers to Part 5 Provide Balanced Service — Comments & Suggested Responses
1. You should:
Offer to call the phone customer back so you can continue asking the in-store customer more questions.
Ask to put the phone customer on hold and then go back to the in-store customer to see if she needs any help yet.
Help the phone customer now, allowing the in-store customer to browse on her own for awhile.
Your in-store customer is probably sending you non-verbal clues that she wants to look around. Give her some time to explore your store or department while you help the phone customer, but keep an eye out for any signs that she has a question or needs some assistance.
2. You should:
Ask to put the caller on hold and check on her request as soon as you are done with your current customer.
Explain that you’re really busy with other customers at the moment and offer to call her back. This would require stopping what you’re doing and writing down her name and phone number.
This is probably the best option in this situation. Just be sure to excuse yourself to the in-store customer you are helping, assuring that customer that this will only be a momentary interruption. Also, make sure you repeat back the name and phone number and tell the phone customer how soon he or she can expect you to call back. This provides balanced service to all customers involved.
Stop what you’re doing and go check on her item immediately, since it won’t take long and the phone customer sounds stressed.
3. You should:
Offer to call back and discuss the sale item as soon as you are done helping the in-store customer.
Ask to put the caller on hold while you check on the sale item, stopping on the way to assure the in-store customer you will be back with him in a moment.
Your in-store customer wants to be thorough and make a good decision; he does not appear to be in a hurry. However, since the in-store customer is close to completing the transaction, you don’t want to leave him alone for very long. Give the in-store customer a few minutes to review the details of the warranty while you answer the phone customer’s question. If the phone customer needs additional help that will keep you away from the in-store customer too long, offer to call back in a few moments.
Focus on the phone customer; the in-store customer has already taken up enough of your time!
