Customer Service Humor

Even though my kids are 18 and 21 and they aren’t big candy eaters, I still like to buy them a little chocolate for Easter. This year, I took my time getting to the store and found only one small gold foil wrapped chocolate Lindt bunny at a Bush’s Grocery store last Saturday afternoon.

At the checkout, I told the cashier that I got the very last one and now needed to hunt for another someplace else.  He rang it up and said with a grin, ”That will be $25.95.”

“What?!” I said.

“Oh, I thought I’d mark up the price since it’s our very last one,” he replied.  I stood there in stunned silence for a second before I saw the twinkle in his eye.  As he gave me the real price, I laughed out loud.

There’s a fine balance between being funny versus being annoying or sarcastic, and this customer service provider hit squarely in the funny category. He was having fun with me, not making fun of me and it worked. 

I’ve experienced customer service providers that attempt humor in a way that comes off as less than funny.  I think that happens when the person isn’t tuned in to their customer’s mood. (Will a bit of humor lighten things up or make this customer angry?  If you have any doubt, err on the side of caution and be efficient, not chatty.)  

I’m fortunate that the Bush’s cashier noticed my “Oh my gosh I waited until the last minute and now I’m in trouble” mood and said something to lighten it.  It made my day a little brighter - and a bit less frantic - as I searched for that second chocolate bunny.

Reflections:As you think back to the last time you said or did something to positively impact a customer’s mood, how did you tune into the customer so that you could be helpful?

Posted by Marilyn Suttle at www.LoveThemUp.com