Dear Reader,

I am an Apple girl. Ever since I purchased it in 2009, I have loved the iPhone. I sometimes feel it is as if Steve Jobs asked the question, “what would Rachel want?” and then created the iPhone just for me. *smile*

So with the emergence of the iPad, I have been desperate to get my hands on one. You can imagine my delight when I saw the prices and the affordability when they came on the market. My mission was clear, procurement here I come.

I had a meeting in Bedford Centre and decided to stop by the Dion Wired store to see if I could purchase one. I was floored by the disinterest of the sales person. He made it quite clear that he was not after my sale. Instead of demystifying the process and making it as simple as possible, his disengagement was very evident. He gave me at least three reasons why I would not want to put my name down on the waiting list for the iPad. Essentially he made it impossible for me to buy the product.  The sad thing is that I was there to purchase, a sure thing, and he lost out on the commission associated with the sale.

My next stop was to Mr Price, I was picking up a new bookcase (part of a set that I had purchased before). To my dismay, the sales person argued with me about my purchase telling me I was wrong and that he was right about the product – he got quite aggressive. I couldn’t believe it – in two direct incidents, I was face to face with opportunities missed for a sale and disinterest. In fact, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth and I will avoid those two stores at Bedford in the future.

So what do I take from this?

Firstly, both sales people appeared most disengaged. They were not present in the moment but rather acted as if this moment was an irritation or inconvenience to them. I realized that in order to secure future growth in our businesses we need to be present and open to every opportunity.

Secondly, I realized that there are many ‘easy sales’ out there. We need to be ready for them and make them as simple for the client as possible. I am a girl who likes complexity and I realize that I sometimes make things too complex for my clients – there is a lesson to be learned in keeping things ‘user friendly’.

Finally, I acknowledged how easily a brand or reputation can be impacted by poor customer service – in this case not Apple but the Retailers. Shew! We need to be vigilant in protecting our brands; one poor engagement can make all the difference.

Happy Selling

Rachel