James Toolan enjoys coming to work with a smile on his face.
“The more positive you are, the more positivity you get back from customers,” says Toolan, a Melville, NY, acting retail specialist and 27-year USPS veteran. “You want each customer to come back.”
Employees like Toolan understand that every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to affect their day, says Retail and Customer Service Operations VP Kelly Sigmon.
“Whether it’s a repeat customer we see on a consistent basis or a first-time visitor, we have an opportunity to make his or her day,” she says.
Toolan has three tips for his fellow employees:
• Make every interaction count. “You may be talking to one customer, but you have six others who are listening. Make sure your interaction is positive,” he says.
• Treat customers with respect. Customers share their experiences with family and friends.
• Have fun. Try to keep it upbeat. “Don’t sound like a robot. Show some of your personality,” Toolan says. “This helps bring repeat business.”
The bottom line: Treat every customer the way you want to be treated.
“Many customers just want to know you’re listening,” he says.
“Best practices,” a new series on employees who demonstrate on-the-job excellence, appears regularly in Link.