The chatty customer (starch)

John Starcher_4

Ok, ladies and gents, here's a completely non-heating question for you.

How do you handle the customer who wants to stand there and gab with you as you're trying to leave? I have a handful of these folks, and a couple of them are a real challenge to get away from. They're good folks, and I really don't want to be rude, but there are times when they can cost me up to a half hour out of my day! To make things worse, we opened a retail hardware store last year, and there are many times when they will catch me in the store, and proceed to talk about everything from local politics to the weather, to their son-in-law's new job, and on and on.......

Don't get me wrong - I appreciate all of my customers and the business they give me. It's just frustrating, especially when you have 8 hours of work to get done in the next 4.

Any suggestions?

Starch

Online Sheriff \"Murph\"

could be worse

could be stuck in the passenger seat of a driver doing more talking than driving!!

hey starch your e-mail keeps getting kicked back, did you ban me from your recipiants list??

Mark Eatherton1

Schmooze 'em or lose 'em...

Thats what an ex employer of mine used to say. Said it was a part of my job.

I know how you feel about the 8 in 4 thing, and most people probably would too if you took the time to explain it to them. Like they say, if you want something done, give it to a busy man. They know how busy you are. Quietly confirm it with them and they'll understand. It works for me.

Above all, thank them for their patronage. They like that.

ME

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ScottMP

hardware store

barber shop, or bar stool. People come to talk and that makes them feel good and that makes them come back. I know people who go the hardware store to get "expert advice" and feel like part of the working crowd. ME is right on the money, " smooze em or looze em ".

Now when your in the house ... just keep nodding your head and moving for the door. If you stand still your dead. The " my guys need me on a problem job " allways works for me.

Scott

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Starch

nope

it must be an ISP thing, murph, either yours or mine.

Try Starcher@cros.net

PJO

Starch, how about this...cell phone/two way radio required...

if you are at a "yakky" customer's place, call the shop/co-worker/whatever, and have them call you back in five or ten minutes. That way you were "interupted" and are needed elsewhere, without an embarassing moment on either side. Good Luck, and Take Care...PJO

Online Sheriff \"Murph\"

still nuttin

try to call you later if i can find the number

DanHolohan

Al Levi

taught me a trick years ago. Before he goes into an appointment he sets the alarm on his watch. If the customer is chatty and he wants to leave when the watch goes off, he'll shut off the alarm and the customer will say, "Do you have to be somewhere?" Al will then explain that he has an appointment, and that gets him back on the road.

If he's in the middle of an important conversation with the customer, however, he'll shut off the alarm when it goes off, and when the customer asks if he has an appointment, Al will say, "It can wait. This is much more important."

Works like a charm.

Mike Kraft

Golden Rule works for me.

A simple apology and off I go.And be as courteously upfront as possible.

cheese