Customer Service I Think

My first week on this new job, and I like it a lot, who said you can’t meet men in a “men’s clothing” store, shoot, I get the most attention and had some pretty decent sales this week, my first week.  Chris was the other sales person and had been employed there about a year.  He had a regular set of customers but was always l king to for more commission.  He was also a very nice quiet guy, he wasn’t giving out information about himself, after working here a week all she knew was his name and he was in school.  She liked Max because he was older, and a few times she caught him looking at her, she wasn’t sure if it was flirting or not so she didn’t pursue it.

After only a week she thought she was good at reading people who came into the store, the better dressed people bought the most and a few “regular” people came in buying smaller priced items, she was looking for that large sale so when this woman came in with a young boy, she sized her up mentally – she was dressed casually, but sharp, she carried a designer bag, she didn’t necessarily look like “money” was probably going to look through the sales rack.  Anika decided to take her break instead of helping this woman, so she went to the back of the store before she could be asked to help her.

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Weddings, why do everyone have to get married in the hot summer month of June….I ponder this question while sitting in the waiting area of one of New York’s finest menswear boutique shops.  This shop has been open for about a year and business has boomed.  They pride themselves on customer service, attention to detail, and the area’s best personal styling service from the best designers around.

I’m waiting for my grandson to come out and show me the suits he picked to wear to the wedding of his cousin Alexis.  He didn’t want to be a part of the wedding party because it was just too much hassle and being a teenager he wanted to be able to eat and hang out at the reception and must importantly hang out at the beach.

Miles came out of the dressing room in a charcoal three piece suit with a crisp white shirt and at first glance, he reminded me so much of my son, it brought tears to my eyes.  His dad was a firefighter and lost his life saving children from a fire three years ago.

“Miles you look handsome, boy that suit fits perfect, walk over to that mirror and turn around, yes that looks great, do you want to wear a bow tie or a regular tie?” I ask him as he studies himself and pose as if he was in a photoshoot.  “I don’t know grand, what do you think?” He asked.

“I don’t know either son, check with Max he is over by the register, I will be right back” I told him as I walked to the back of the store where I noticed the new employee was talking on her cell phone, a store policy she was breaking.

“Ma’am you can’t come back here, she said with an attitude,”

“and why is that?” I asked her.

“Because this area is for store employees only, so I need you to leave and if you have a problem, I can have my manager help you” she said with a smirk and turned back to talking on her cell phone.

“girl this customer is about to get on my nerve, she probably going to buy that expensive suit then return it later for her money back, I hate cheap people” she laughed on her phone.

At the register, Max the manager was ringing up a customer when I walked over to him.

“Hey boss lady, how are you, I will be with you one minute let me finish ringing up Mr. Thomas” he said as he smiled.

“Hello Mr. Thomas, how are you doing, it’s good to see you, she said then turned to Max, “no problem”.

Max finished ringing up his customer and walked over to the display of ties and bowties to talk with Ms. Sullivan the owner of the store.

“Ms. Sullivan, how are you doing, I see Miles found the perfect suit and we picked out a bowtie with pocket square and cufflinks set.  He should be ready for the wedding, did you get a chance to meet the new employee Anika?”

“No we didn’t meet formally but I walked to the back room and she was on her cell phone, please have her come out to meet me”.

Max immediately frowned because he knew that he will have to find a new employee, because Ms. Sullivan didn’t play when it came to her rules for the store, his whole attitude changed when he walked back to the room and heard her still whispering on her cell phone.

“Anika”, he called her loudly, she turned around and smiled while hiding her phone behind her back.

“Yes Max, I was on my break, but I’m done, can I help with something?” She asked hoping he didn’t see her on the phone.

“No but, I want to introduce you the owner of the store Ms. Sullivan

” He smirked.

Anika, looked around the store to see who could possibly be the owner, she was looking at a well-dressed white woman that was talking to Chris the other store clerk and thought that must be her, she smiled because she was ready to put on her best behavior.

Instead of Max walking in that direction he walked toward the cash register where the woman who came to the back room, she immediately thought that he had to take care of her first them introduce her to the owner.

“Max, that woman at the cash register, came to the back room and I had to put her in her place, she had the nerve to ask why she couldn’t come back there, she laughed,”

Max turned around and looked at her with pity and before he could said anything, Anika laughed again and said, I told her if she had a problem that she could talk to the manager, “you” she pointed at him and laughed again.  At this point Max just shook his head, he knew for sure Anika was about to get the surprise of her life, and her attitude and earlier behavior just got her fired.

Chris walk with his customer over to the cash register just as Max and Anika was walking up.  He rang the customer purchase up, thanked her and gave her the receipt.  She walk out the store.

Anika was confused she thought that she was owner.  Now she got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach and looked over at the customer she got smart with.  She looked back and smiled at her shaking her head.

“Anika”, Max called to get her attention, “I would like for you to meet the owner, Ms. Sullivan, and her grandson Miles.”

Anika, opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“You can close your mouth, Anika, and you can leave early today, as a matter of fact, you won’t be coming back”, I value customer service skills, and employees who follow direction and store policies”, Ms. Sullivan said with a big smile.