Can you believe someone (my boss at the time) said to me….
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“You can’t be so friendly”
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Yes, you read that right! I was 17 years old and a cashier at a grocery store when I got called into my bosses office. He sat me down, looked me in the eyes and said, “a customer complained about you”! Instantly my heart sank, what had I done? Forgot to give them one of their bags, charged them the wrong price? What could it be?
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“You’re too friendly”!!! WHAT?!?!? I didn’t understand. Someone complained I was TOO FRIENDLY!!! How could that be! and why am I in this office being told I need to change how I interact with the customers… dial it back a bit!
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Being friendly was something I did naturally and with pride. It’s a quality I will not apologize for (or at least not now, I’m sure I apologized for it then)!
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I left a part of my spirit in that office that day! Thinking my friendliness was a weakness! But, as I aged and matured and stepped into roles that allowed me to use this superpower as an asset, I realized that if being friendly makes me happy, than surely it will make others happy too!
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I know for me, if I had to choose between friendly or unpleasant, I’d choose friendly every time!!!!
#customerexperience #customercare #friendly #goodservice
