“May I help you sir?” Though chat bots annoy us with this set phrase many times, it was not to be this time. For, there was a real smiling face behind it.
An insider of a system that churns out sales persons in dozens, I dare say sales persons are made, not born. Then I get the conscience call. The myriad wayside sellers who ‘coax’ you to a quick buy at the traffic signals, who on earth would teach them this persuasive selling? (No answer!) All the same, my thought stayed steadfast, until Noorjahan brought in that plot twist.
“Life as normal does not come to you, you have to walk to it.” After many months’ exile in the online portals, I decided to shop out this time for some day wears. To my delight, things were back to normal there. Cosy shop floor, cheerful faces, early birds get not only the prey but the fun too. Full shelves and brimming hangers were beckoning me to be impulsive yet again.
I’m not big on self-service. So in such situations, I longed for assistance. Help used to be on deck always. I didn’t spot anyone this time though. People intensive businesses slash headcount to stay viable. Is that the symptom of this Covid aftermath? If yes, it’s too bad. After all, what’s in-store if there is no interface?
May I help you?
“May I help you sir?” Though chat bots annoy us with this set phrase many times, it was not to be this time. For, there was a real smiling face behind it. Yes! That marked Noorjan’s entry. Subtle, confident and caring for the customer; her attitude ticks all the boxes of a sales person. I only wondered which competitor had groomed her.
Cutting short, Noorjahan’s charisma and instinctiveness produced an endearing in store experience to me. That went beyond picking up my required things. This is where the retailers walk past the e-tailers.
Noorjahan didn’t leave me at that. She was at billing desk and got the things arranged in the shopping bags. As if fallen off the sky, many sales persons showed up at the billing, battling to get their code marked on the bill. Standing at the corner and smiling was Noorjahan. ”Why you don’t want the share?” I asked. “I don’t get; I am a housekeeping staff. I saw your difficulty and volunteered.” I was awestruck. For once, corrected my long-drawn-out theory. I now believe “One can teach sales but the instinct to sell is inherent.” That’s what I saw live there.
I requested the stores manager to share the incentive to Noorjahan too, considering her desireless action. But she quoted the rules to escape. On my persistence, she agreed to felicitate Noorjahan in the next staff meet. Don’t know if this really happened that was the manager’s tactic.
Finishing Line:
We talk a lot about the importance of being proactive. But don’t you also think such good work should also be rewarded? Even if it means a temporary departure from the set rules? Pl comment.
By K.V.Murali Mohan A passionate freelance writer and ardent communicator - Double Post Graduate in communication subjects -Recipient of Kulapati Gold Medal and TKM Rao award in Journalism - Credited with four decades of literary pursuit spanning over 300 plus articles in national and regional publications.
Comments