"Do you have Muffin Mix?" asked the customer, a man likely in his 60's or 70's.
I replied, "Yes we do, right down this aisle" in a cheerful tone.
I took him to the exact location of our muffin mix.
He said, in a huffy tone, "This isn't muffin mix!"
Perplexed, I replied, with politeness "It says 'muffin mix' right on the package sir."
Then he finally revealed his actual, previously uncommunicated desire, hidden deep within his mind: "It's not oatmeal muffin mix."
I was then able to tell him: "Oh well I did not hear you ask for the oatmeal type, sir. You only said 'Muffin Mix'. Unfortunately we do not have the oatmeal kind, just this other one."
I replied, "Yes we do, right down this aisle" in a cheerful tone.
I took him to the exact location of our muffin mix.
He said, in a huffy tone, "This isn't muffin mix!"
Perplexed, I replied, with politeness "It says 'muffin mix' right on the package sir."
Then he finally revealed his actual, previously uncommunicated desire, hidden deep within his mind: "It's not oatmeal muffin mix."
I was then able to tell him: "Oh well I did not hear you ask for the oatmeal type, sir. You only said 'Muffin Mix'. Unfortunately we do not have the oatmeal kind, just this other one."
It was clear that being specific in his request had never occurred to the customer, and he remained silent. He did have a shopping companion, younger than him.
His younger fellow shopper came along side him and said "Okay thank you" to me in a knowing tone, realizing that the customer had not been specific, leading to temporary confusion.
Since I have been in the retail industry for over 27 years now, I have dozens of these kinds of stories and experiences. I also have plenty of positive experiences. Not everything is frustrating, though things like the above story do happen.
Now as a grocery department manager for a family department store, I encounter a lot of great people. I love our customers. They are usually quite polite and some of them even compliment me. I had such a compliment yesterday actually. I answered a couple of questions about specific grocery items that required a little more knowledge and she said "You're amazing!" Apparently she used to work in retail and was impressed by my level of service and knowledge. It made my day. (Well that and another older lady called me "young man"... that made my day also! I told her "thank you for the 'young' compliment!")
I enjoy helping customers and leading staff. But I am a stickler for detail also, and it frustrates me when a handful of customers expect me to read their mind. They give minimal information when asking me for a product and expect me to read their mind and know what they are thinking. This comes down to the very rudimentary thing called "communication". Humans have a long history of struggling with communication. The speaker speaks, and thinks he has been heard. The listener hears, but does not fully understand what was spoken. Then the breakdown occurs where the speaker is disappointed that the listener did not "get it." But perhaps, the speaker left out some details that are crucial to the passing on of the information. I am guilty of this too. We can all struggle to get our message across at times.
So when it comes to customers with vague requests, I ask questions.
Yesterday, I was approached by a middle aged man asking for, and I quote: "sticks". I thought he meant those little sticky strips for holding picture frames to the wall, known as "Command Strips." Maybe he means "pepperoni sticks". We do sell those on the deli counter. Or maybe he was asking for tree branches? I had no idea what he meant by "sticks".
He did not give me enough information and I do not read minds. So I asked him: "do you mean Command Sticks or Strips?"
Then he paused, and was not able to say yea or nay to that. It was like he had to think about what I asked. Eventually he was able to come up with enough detail in his communication to tell me exactly what he was looking for: "sticks for dogs" as in treat sticks they can chew on. I immediately said yes, we have those and brought him to the right department and showed him all of the various dog chews and sticks we sell. He found what he was looking for and was on his way. Another happy customer!
I have learned to ask questions: it makes people think about their requests more carefully and be more specific. I enjoy helping customers find the products but I really can only do that when the words communicated put us both on the same page, so to speak.
One time I was asked by a customer for, and I quote again: "baking flavouring". I asked her a bunch of questions to narrow down what she meant by this extremely vague and broad request. It could have been anything: chocolate, cocoa, spices, cinnamon, ginger, etc. She was unable to express anything more specific. She had no idea what it was specifically called. So we wandered the baking aisle trying to identify her mystery substance. After a couple of minutes she identified the item she wanted on the shelf: Artificial Vanilla. So I said it's called artificial vanilla so she would know what to ask for next time.
It is a real challenge at times to communicate effectively and we can all struggle with it. This is because we all have different experiences and some words may have different connotations to us that are not obvious to the other person because they do not share our previous experiences. That is why I encourage anyone who shops to give more detail when asking for an item in a store. It really helps us out when we know exactly what you're looking for! A good trick is to bring a flyer or a cellphone app that shows the item directly. That is extremely helpful.
Because I am also a pastor, I want to add a spiritual dimension to this article now. Jesus wants us to ask and be specific about our needs. He DOES read minds, unlike me. Nevertheless, He wants us to ASK for our specific requests. This is so that we do not start taking God for granted. He wants communication. He wants relationship with you. And you can only have that relationship to God through Jesus (see John 14:6). Jesus tells us:
Matthew 7:7-12 NKJV
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
So Jesus is all about communication and being specific in our requests. This is the most important thing we can ask: What must I do to be saved from my own sin, the wrath of God, and eternal torment in hell?
Acts 16:29-31 NKJV
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
His younger fellow shopper came along side him and said "Okay thank you" to me in a knowing tone, realizing that the customer had not been specific, leading to temporary confusion.
Since I have been in the retail industry for over 27 years now, I have dozens of these kinds of stories and experiences. I also have plenty of positive experiences. Not everything is frustrating, though things like the above story do happen.
Now as a grocery department manager for a family department store, I encounter a lot of great people. I love our customers. They are usually quite polite and some of them even compliment me. I had such a compliment yesterday actually. I answered a couple of questions about specific grocery items that required a little more knowledge and she said "You're amazing!" Apparently she used to work in retail and was impressed by my level of service and knowledge. It made my day. (Well that and another older lady called me "young man"... that made my day also! I told her "thank you for the 'young' compliment!")
I enjoy helping customers and leading staff. But I am a stickler for detail also, and it frustrates me when a handful of customers expect me to read their mind. They give minimal information when asking me for a product and expect me to read their mind and know what they are thinking. This comes down to the very rudimentary thing called "communication". Humans have a long history of struggling with communication. The speaker speaks, and thinks he has been heard. The listener hears, but does not fully understand what was spoken. Then the breakdown occurs where the speaker is disappointed that the listener did not "get it." But perhaps, the speaker left out some details that are crucial to the passing on of the information. I am guilty of this too. We can all struggle to get our message across at times.
So when it comes to customers with vague requests, I ask questions.
Yesterday, I was approached by a middle aged man asking for, and I quote: "sticks". I thought he meant those little sticky strips for holding picture frames to the wall, known as "Command Strips." Maybe he means "pepperoni sticks". We do sell those on the deli counter. Or maybe he was asking for tree branches? I had no idea what he meant by "sticks".
He did not give me enough information and I do not read minds. So I asked him: "do you mean Command Sticks or Strips?"
Then he paused, and was not able to say yea or nay to that. It was like he had to think about what I asked. Eventually he was able to come up with enough detail in his communication to tell me exactly what he was looking for: "sticks for dogs" as in treat sticks they can chew on. I immediately said yes, we have those and brought him to the right department and showed him all of the various dog chews and sticks we sell. He found what he was looking for and was on his way. Another happy customer!
I have learned to ask questions: it makes people think about their requests more carefully and be more specific. I enjoy helping customers find the products but I really can only do that when the words communicated put us both on the same page, so to speak.
One time I was asked by a customer for, and I quote again: "baking flavouring". I asked her a bunch of questions to narrow down what she meant by this extremely vague and broad request. It could have been anything: chocolate, cocoa, spices, cinnamon, ginger, etc. She was unable to express anything more specific. She had no idea what it was specifically called. So we wandered the baking aisle trying to identify her mystery substance. After a couple of minutes she identified the item she wanted on the shelf: Artificial Vanilla. So I said it's called artificial vanilla so she would know what to ask for next time.
It is a real challenge at times to communicate effectively and we can all struggle with it. This is because we all have different experiences and some words may have different connotations to us that are not obvious to the other person because they do not share our previous experiences. That is why I encourage anyone who shops to give more detail when asking for an item in a store. It really helps us out when we know exactly what you're looking for! A good trick is to bring a flyer or a cellphone app that shows the item directly. That is extremely helpful.
Because I am also a pastor, I want to add a spiritual dimension to this article now. Jesus wants us to ask and be specific about our needs. He DOES read minds, unlike me. Nevertheless, He wants us to ASK for our specific requests. This is so that we do not start taking God for granted. He wants communication. He wants relationship with you. And you can only have that relationship to God through Jesus (see John 14:6). Jesus tells us:
Matthew 7:7-12 NKJV
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
So Jesus is all about communication and being specific in our requests. This is the most important thing we can ask: What must I do to be saved from my own sin, the wrath of God, and eternal torment in hell?
Acts 16:29-31 NKJV
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
The answer? We must simply Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. No works can save us, just simple faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
So whether we are shopping or having fellowship with Jesus Christ, let us be more specific in our asking. Ask for something specific, and you will receive it according to God's will and timing!
Blessings
Pastor Curtis
www.churchonthego.ca
Thu Dec 15th 2022 1:29pm Eastern Time.
Blessings
Pastor Curtis
www.churchonthego.ca
Thu Dec 15th 2022 1:29pm Eastern Time.
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