I was talking with a friend of mine today about when we worked together (we had worked at a hardware store together at one time) and he brought up this story. It happened a few days ago he tells me, and well it's hilarious when you think about it.
A customer comes into the store on her cellphone. Now this store was notorious for making you drop a call, and guess what, it did. So she potters around plumbing and such for a good thirty minutes before approaching M. With that perfect lost look on her face she says to him. "I need something for my husband." Of course M asks what, and her words were (to the effect of) "I need, you know that thing that goes on the other part, the doohicky that attaches to it looks like the...you know. It's about yay big (she holds up her fingers a good eight inches apart) but it's not like the other things. You know what I mean?"
M blinks at her and then nods. "Sure do." With that he heads over to pick up a new valve and cut off housing for a toilet. Handing it over the lady stares at it a moment and then smiles. "If this isn't it, can I bring it back?" M just nodded.
Well, he said a few hours later the lady came back after M had gotten off work and told his supervisor about the great service M did, and that what he'd handed her was exactly what her husband had needed. However she knew full well that she'd not explained it right and wanted to know how on earth M even knew what she needed.
His response the next day? He'd had a lady come in a few days before and describe the thing in exactly the same way. Worst he figured, was she'd take it home her husband would say that wasn't right and decided to go get it himself.
So it begs the question.
Have you ever have a customer babble at you when asking for something, only to know exactly what it is they wanted?
A customer comes into the store on her cellphone. Now this store was notorious for making you drop a call, and guess what, it did. So she potters around plumbing and such for a good thirty minutes before approaching M. With that perfect lost look on her face she says to him. "I need something for my husband." Of course M asks what, and her words were (to the effect of) "I need, you know that thing that goes on the other part, the doohicky that attaches to it looks like the...you know. It's about yay big (she holds up her fingers a good eight inches apart) but it's not like the other things. You know what I mean?"
M blinks at her and then nods. "Sure do." With that he heads over to pick up a new valve and cut off housing for a toilet. Handing it over the lady stares at it a moment and then smiles. "If this isn't it, can I bring it back?" M just nodded.
Well, he said a few hours later the lady came back after M had gotten off work and told his supervisor about the great service M did, and that what he'd handed her was exactly what her husband had needed. However she knew full well that she'd not explained it right and wanted to know how on earth M even knew what she needed.
His response the next day? He'd had a lady come in a few days before and describe the thing in exactly the same way. Worst he figured, was she'd take it home her husband would say that wasn't right and decided to go get it himself.
So it begs the question.
Have you ever have a customer babble at you when asking for something, only to know exactly what it is they wanted?
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