Are You The Shop Nazi?

Are You The Shop Nazi?

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

One of my favorite characters from the sitcom Seinfeld was “The Soup Nazi”.  This episode aired in 1995, and featured actor Larry Thomas playing the role of the no-nonsense New York soup vendor. The character was inspired by a real soup vendor named Ali, whom the show’s producers were patrons of at the time.

He maintained a harsh, and demanding tone with his customers, insisting they place their orders according to his strict guidelines. Engaging the consumer was not a concern.  It was all about him.

He would famously yell: “No Soup For You” to anyone who failed to comply with his demands.  Customers tolerated this mistreatment because they believed that if you wanted get a great bowl of soup, he was the only option in town.

I was recently watching this episode, and the following question came to mind: Would the Soup Nazi model work in 2016?

“No Sales for you!”  This is what today’s customer would tell our friend from Seinfeld. Thanks to the internet, the competition is only one “mouse click” away.  I could Google the phrase “soup near me” and find five other businesses offering the best soup in town. 

The abundance of options has leveled the playing field.  The winning shop’s today, are those that focus on delivering a memorable experience.  

Are you The SHOP Nazi?   Keep reading and you will learn two factors that may lead to your customers to feel this way

Lacking an employee recognition program

How you treat your internal customers determines how they treat the external ones. According to a recent study done by the Cvent Web Survey organization, customer retention rates are 18% higher when employees are engaged. 

 In other words, if your employees are engaged, they will be more likely to create an engaging experience with your customers. What do you do as a team to have fun?  What rewards do you have in place for someone who creates a memorable customer experience?

 A rewarding work environment will get your people to buy into the bigger picture.  Shop Nazi’s are only focused on what they want.   A formal recognition program will shift your employee’s attention from themselves to your customers.

Having to ask for referrals

One of my fellow coaches attended a Disney Cruise last week.  When he returned to the office, he spent thirty minutes telling me about the experience, and recommending that I take my family.  I am willing to bet he was never approached by the president of Disney and asked to give a referral. 

They delivered such a memorable experience, that talking about it was a natural response.  How many customers gave you a referral last week without you approaching them to give one? 

There’s nothing wrong with requesting referrals.  However, only getting the referrals you ask for is a sure sign of a forgettable experience.  Disney doesn’t have to ask.   Do you?

Conclusion

 

During the Seinfeld episode, The Soup Nazi would yell “NEXT” after denying service to his customers.   What will you do NEXT to recognize your people and create an experience that produces unsolicited referrals? 

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  I have a “Customer Experience Kit” that includes employee recognition best practices and a customer exit interview survey.    Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will send it to you.