Customer Interaction

In the last two weeks, I worked over 126 hours. Dana sent me a link to a website called The Customer is Not Always Right. The last entry was focused on one particular customer. These three things have led to this particular entry.

I got a call several weeks ago from the District Manager asking me if I would be willing to work on my days off at a new, second store at Rockefeller Center in NYC. I, of course, said I would do it as long as I was needed. I also have been working at the first store in Rock Center. The 126 hours over the last two weeks was due to time put in at Newport Centre (my home store), Rockefeller Center and Rock II.

An Amazing Sale
We have a set of champagne flutes that we have been selling as a purchase-with-purchase deal. Buy two cards and get the set for $19.95. (Without cards, they cost $49.) They have not been moving well, so the company decided to sell them at $19.95 without the purchase of cards. This week they went to $14.99 without cards.

I was at Rock II on Thursday night, when a lady walked in. I approached her and told her about the card sale and the special price of the champagne flutes. One of the factors that makes it so difficult to sell the flutes at Rockefeller Center, is a lot of people are tourists. No one wants to lug a huge box of glasses all over the City. This is exactly what the lady said. I told her that I would ship them anywhere she wanted them. She began thinking out loud.

"I could give a set to Phyllis and her boyfriend of the month. Jo and her husband could use a set."

"What?" I asked, "Phyllis has a Flavor of the Week?"

"Yeah, actually, she does!" said the lady.

At just that time, her friend walked in to the store. My heart sank. I told the first lady, "I really wish your sensible friend hadn't come in just now."

She said, "Why do you think I'm not sensible?"

I said, "You were just about to buy 16 sets of champagne flutes. Everyone has that sensible friend who says, 'You don't need all those glasses.' I think you should get some anyway."

The two ladies discussed it a while and after assurances from me that I would ship them to Georgia, she said she would take six sets! As I began ringing her up, we chatted, and I explained that I was only helping out at this store, and that I usually work at an American Greetings store in New Jersey. She seemed to be thrilled with her purchase, and I seemed to thrilled that she was happy.

Her friend came to the register next, and said, "You should be happy that I'm buying this here, because I could get most of this sh!t in Chicago."

I said, "Ma'am, if we were at an American Greetings store in New Jersey, you could talk like that, but this is a Papyrus store in Manhattan. I'm going to have to ask you to keep that in mind." It was kind of exciting to challenge myself to sell some flutes, and then sell six sets in one pop.

I'm Cool, Too!
I had to take the trash out one night at Rock I. To do that, I had to go out on 6th Ave. and into 30 Rockefeller Center. Once inside the building, I waited with a maintenance guy for the service elevator. When the elevator doors opened, the maintenance man pushed his trash can onto the elevator and fist bumped the elevator operator. They presumably know each other, since they both work in the same building. It is amazing to me how quickly you begin to recognize people that work in the building, even if it is 30 Rockefeller Center. Anyway, when I saw the maintenance man and the elevator operator fist bump, I wanted in on that. When I pulled my cart onto the elevator, I raised my fist and it hung in the air. It took a couple of beats, but the elevator operator realized what I was doing and bumped! The maintenance guy just laughed as I explained, "I thought that was something I had to do to take a ride!"

The Time?
Papyrus, at least in my mind, is way more "buttoned up" than an American Greetings store. Papyrus stores are smaller, and time seems to run a little slower. People browse longer and spend more. With that short description in mind, a lady asked me at Rock I if I had the time time.

In American Greetings mode I gave what seemed to be a natural response. I asked her if she wanted the time in Eastern. I explained that I could quickly calculate the time in Central, Mountain or Pacific time if necessary. She chuckled and said she would prefer Eastern.

Oops, My Bad
This customer made me feel bad. I asked a gentleman if he would like a Precious Moments wind-up musical angel figurine. He said no, so I pushed a little more.

"It's only $9.95 since you have made some other purchases today."

"No, it reminds me of my first wife." oops! "She is dead." ouch!

Back Yard Syndrome
Two ladies walked into Rock II one evening, and one of them was almost shaking. She explained that she doesn't like heights, but had just come from the Top of the Rock. I asked her how it was, because I have never been up there.

"You sound just like me! We live 20 minutes from Alcatraz and I've never been there either!" she said.

"You go to Alcatraz and I'll go to the Top of the Rock. We can compare notes," I told her.

Directions?
A man walked into Rock II one afternoon. He asked if there was a bar in Rockefeller Center. I told him that I was sure there was, though I could not tell him where. I suggested that if there was no bar, there would be a restaurant on the Concourse level that should have alcohol. He thanked me and turned around to leave. He flipped back one more time and said, "It's probably pretty crowded right now, though, right?"

I wanted so badly to say, but didn't, that I could tell him if there was a bar in the area. I might even be able to tell you how to get there. But, there was just no way for me to tell him how many people were in the bar at this time.

I love my job for so many reasons, but the best part of my job is interacting with people who can appreciate my humor. It makes the day go by so much faster.