I have previously blogged about my exchange with Ronald, a very professional and engaging entrepreneur with whom I spoke at the PaymentsFirst conference in Birmingham. He told me a story that I have to relay here.Ronald was going through the drive-through at a local fast-food restaurant. When he pulled up to the window, a young millennial woman told him his total was $8.23. Thinking he would just have a little banter with her, he reached for his money and said, “Wow, that’s an awful lot to pay for some fried chicken.”
“Well, you can just go to Walmart and get a whole chicken for that,” the millennial woman icily responded.
Ronald was taken aback by her negativity.
“Well I just might,” he told her.
“Well, why don’t you. We don’t need your business anyway,” the woman said.
What? Ronald was floored by her attitude. Even assuming that she didn’t understand he was joking with her, there was no excuse in any way, shape, or form for her poor customer service. But unfortunately, this attitude is common from many employees who immediately react to a situation, instead of thoughtfully responding.
Perhaps she could have said, “Oh I know times are tough, but we provide an excellent value for the price you pay.” Even just taking Ronald’s money and giving him his change with a plain, “Thank you,” would have worked just fine. Take the time, even if it’s just a few seconds, to really think about your response before you speak. It could make a world of difference.