Following a hockey match involving my daughter this morning, I ambled along talking with my Mother about various things. One recent experience that Mum brought into the conversation was her search for a game (mahjong) by firstly choosing to ask at a range of local bricks and mortar retail stores.

What astonished her was the response she received from all three well-known (nationally represented) retailers. None of the three retailers currently were stocking this particular game, but instead of thinking about how they could readily source this game – either through their own distribution channel or via an internet source – they simply told Mum that unfortunately they didn’t have it in stock…and wait for it…and suggested that she might like to try buying it online from any number of retailers and possibly even Trademe.

So what had these sales representatives successfully done ? That’s right, prevented a successful sale from occurring…and therefore sacrificed the opportunity to receive sales revenue and generate Gross Profit. 

My first thoughts were that the sales people involved either had turned-off their brains temporarily during their engagement with Mum and/ or they couldn’t be bothered thinking about how they might be able to source the game that Mum was interested in. They obviously didn’t think about the repercussions of their actions – particularly that this customer might talk about her experience with other potential customers.

What I’m mostly disappointed about is the lack of thought that went into this B2C engagement; particularly when retail trading is as fiercely competitive as it is. This complacent attitude towards “clinching the sale” must stop if retail businesses truly are committed to remaining viable. Every sale counts !

And the result of going the extra mile to resolve a customer’s problems/ needs won’t be forgotten – and may just be the influencing factor that causes a customer to return on a future occasion. Don’t ever underestimate the influential power of helpful customer service given with a smile and willing heart !