by Carol Ritter
I am standing in a store waiting for someone to help me. Five minutes go by, ten minutes, finally fifteen minutes pass when I start to get restless. I go look for someone and eventually found a security guard who I ask to go find a sales associate. After he leaves and I wait another ten or fifteen minutes, a woman comes running up to me and declares “Five people called off today! I’m sick of this place. It is impossible for me to do my job with everyone out sick.” She was clearly out of control. “The owner hires idiots,” she complained.
Maybe she should try these tips:
- Try to never complain to customers, you could lose them on the spot.
- Think or count to 10 before you lose your temper.
- Sleep on it. A very wise person once told me that when you have had it with some and are ready to tell others how you feel; sleep on it for at least one night.
- Talk to someone you trust first.
- Go to the owner or manager and express your concerns.
- Doing nothing will not work – the issues don’t go away.
Recently, I went out to eat and the manager of the restaurant came over to whine to the owner about how he isn’t stepping up to the plate, never has time for staff and is absent all of the time. That’s the kiss of death. When your staff is not happy, your customers won’t be happy and the result will hurt your cash flow.
Whining might make us feel better, but in the long run it will hurt you. It’s time to change your complaints to constructive suggestions if you want long-term success.
Carol S. Ritter, past President of the National Speakers Association in Philadelphia, is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in innovative leadership, outrageous fundraising, million-dollar marketing and building organizational alliances throughout the country. FMI on Carol’s creative leadership with bulletproof ideas for recruiting more members, more money and better leaders: www.caroltalks.com, 610-442-4545, tellkids@aol.com, “Like” Carol on facebook at Caroltalks and CarolCoaches.
