The well-known phrase “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” generally pertains to the behavior that visitors exhibit during their stay, but does the slogan hold true to customer service on the strip? I would have to say no.
My husband and I were in Vegas recently, and on a whim I decided to pop into one of those decadent designer shops on the Wynn Esplanade. Now, I don’t normally frequent these types of high-end boutiques – both because they are expensive and because I rarely expect to find clothes that work for me – but I was drawn to a purse in the window and I just had to take a closer look. While there, I encountered a very effective salesperson who reminded how important it is to take the time to really see through the eyes of your customers or clients.
After showing me the purse, the sales associate drew me over to show me some specific pieces of clothing. My first thought was, “Lady, this is a waste of your time.” However, the woman explained that she personally tried on every piece of clothing sold in the store, and that her background in sewing and pattern making helped her understand fit. So when she suggested I try on one particularly gorgeous pair of pants, I couldn’t resist. While they ultimately did not fit, she did explain how I could take them to a professional and have them tailored while still maintaining the garment’s distinctive shape. Although I did not purchase the pants, she managed to take me from “No way” to “Wow, okay!” in just a few minutes, simply by understanding her inventory and by anticipating the needs of her customers.
In contrast, earlier that morning I had a frustrating experience trying to make a payment online. Although I had made the payment a week in advance of its due date, I was still receiving past due notices. When I called to find out what had happened, I was told that I had missed a certain button that would have verified my payment. The website’s design was archaic, not user-friendly or intuitive. When I pointed this out to the person I spoke with in accounting and asked if they had ever personally tried to submit a payment using the website just to see what their customers have to go through, he admitted he had not. Not to fault this person, the message came through that although my comments were not a surprise to him, any comments he brought to management would fall on deaf ears.
These experiences combined to remind me that no matter what field you’re in, it’s important to back up and try to look at things through a customer’s or client’s eyes.
