Leaders Understand Service

It continues to surprise me, and it shouldn't, that leaders and business owners don't understand some of the most common sense basics about service and sales. If someone says I want to buy from you, you should respond with a courteous and quick followup and take the order.

I recently tried to purchase a gift certificate from a small business retailer. I tried doing it on the website on a Sunday evening and it was not available on the website, the website was not set up to take the transaction.

So I took the time to look up the email contact for the owner, who I know, and sent an email. I asked that I be called the next day so I could purchase a gift certificate as a gift. At this point, I am asking the company to call me so I can spend money. Not maybe, not let me see if you have what I want.

I got an email back from the owner indicating that they didn't offer gift certificates through the website and to call the store the next day and ask for the owner. I had already made two attempts to spend my money with this company and now the owner put it back to me to make the contact.

If you are a leader or business owner, don't let opportunities to make a sale, to wow your customers and build your reputation for excellent service and responsiveness get lost.