Hi everyone Tod Novak here, you know we talk a lot about solution selling or giving great customer service by just doing what makes sense. I feel like sometimes employees and sales people tend to not think of ways to fix an issue for a customer and not to really work on the solution. You just end up hearing them say this is the way we do it.
To use an old term, “think outside the box” is a real simple illustration of this. I went to Starbucks, I don’t usually go to Starbucks that much but went recently for a pour over coffee. I prefer pour over rather than drip, it tastes better and for a few other reasons. The last time I ordered a pour over it was lukewarm or almost cold because it takes awhile for the coffee to drip.
So when I ordered this time I asked the girl behind the counter if there was a way for me to get warmer coffee. She said, “No, I don’t think so.” I replied, “so no idea at all?” She said, “no, that’s just the way we do it.” I then suggested asking a barista if maybe they have ever had someone else ask this question before. The barista did not have a solution, so I suggested doubling the cup to help keep the coffee hot and order a smaller size so it doesn’t take as long to drip. The barista agreed and thought that was a good idea that just might work. So I ordered a pourover coffee (smaller size and double cupped) and it came out the perfect temperature, just the way I like it. If I wouldn’t have thought of a solution, they wouldn’t have made the sale. Now I will go back and buy pour over coffee because I decided to come up with a solution.
Teach your employees to actually work on solutions, don’t just say that’s the way we do it.
This is a typical pattern of how a lot of employees think about business. They are not there just to do a job, they should be taking care of customers and providing a great customer experience.
Remember you’re a champion, you’re a winner and you’re God’s best!
