I'm in the process of looking for a used car right now, something a little exotic and not too common. Since there are none of them for sale in our local area, I've been searching the internet to find examples in other parts of the province. My search found one at a dealer "Somewhere in Saskatchewan" about three hours away, so I phoned them and discovered the car was still available. "Great," I said, "I'll be there in three hours."
True to my word, three hours later I arrived at the dealership. In anticipation I scanned the rows of pre-owned cars, looking for the Mustang convertible, but it was not there. "Must be cleaning it," I thought, as I walked into the showroom.
Ahead of me sat the only female salesperson in the showroom, the one I'd spoken with earlier in the day. Moving forward, I gave her my best smile and asked "How are you?" Her face dropped. "You must be Kenneth" she said. "Then I am probably better than you're going to feel in about four seconds." The penny dropped, "You've sold it." I retorted. "Yes, about five minutes after you called" she explained. "Someone just walked in and bought it on the spot from another salesperson." I took a deep breath and simply said "Then we have nothing left to talk about." As I walked out the showroom I made up my mind never to do business with that dealership as long as I live.
I was not angry as I began my three-hour trip back home, there was nothing I could do to change the situation. Instead I reflected on what I would have done, had I still been in sales. At the very least I would have put a "reserved" note on the car, explaining to the next inquirer that someone was on their way to see the car from three hours distance. I would have taken the details of the person and would have got back to them if the first person didn't take the car. Yes, that is what I would have done, that's what a professional should have done.
OK, so is there anything good in this situation? Well, I figure the car was never supposed to be mine in the first place, maybe it was a lemon and someone else gets to enjoy the lemonade. Also, it gave me something to write about this week.
Also, I can share the lesson with the business owners, storekeepers and salespeople in this area. When someone wants to do business with you, you must remember to create a good experience for them. Make it good news for that potential client that they walked through your door! When you do that, you will create enough goodwill that the person will enjoy doing business with you, or at least they will recommend you. On the other hand, if you treat them with apathy, disinterest and unprofessionalism, you can be sure they will tell others about their experience.
You can re-invent your customer service with every prospect that walks through your door. Your future success is often in your own hands and you can learn from the clowns that I dealt with for the one and only time last week!
