Providing Exceptional Customer Service…at a Trade Show?
Throughout the years I have come to find that many people in customer service positions are REACTIVE, rather than PROACTIVE. Think about it…who would you rather assist? The customer that comes in screaming their head off and demanding that YOU do something to make their situation better regardless of who is at fault, or the customer that calmly approaches you and asks if you could help them out?
Whether the customer service is being provided over the phone (call center, tech support, 1-800 number) or in person (retail store, doctor’s office, the DMV), it is much more rewarding to help someone who asks for help, rather than demands it. It is much more fulfilling to help a kind customer solve a problem than a rude customer that you just want to leave you alone. It is easier and quicker to assist someone who calmly explains the situation to you, rather than someone who is yelling, and perhaps even cursing, at you. But people who provide exceptional customer service do so with a smile on their face regardless if they are helping a nice customer or a mean one. And those that don’t provide exceptional customer service are oftentimes reacting to how the customer is treating them.
So let’s translate this to a trade show environment. The attendee is the customer and you, the exhibitor, is the customer service provider. It is even more important for you to provide exceptional customer service with regard to facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice since you are in a face-to-face situation. If an attendee approaches your booth negatively…they are in a bad mood, they are in a hurry, they are exhausted, they just got reprimanded by their boss, they are desperately looking for a new job…it is up to you to provide exceptional customer service regardless of how you wish to react. Reacting negatively is just not allowed at a trade show no matter what the circumstance.
Also, providing exceptional customer service at a trade show has to be maintained by every level of employee that is at the show. The highest ranking employee has just as much responsibility to the attendees as the lowest ranking one. And not just in the booth or the convention center, but in the shuttle bus, at a restaurant, at the hotel, at the airport, in the gym…heck, even in the restroom! I can not tell you how many connections I have made while on an airplane either before or after a trade show. The reason why? Because I provided exceptional customer service at a time when no one expected it.
So just remember that PROACTIVELY providing exceptional customer service at a trade show and not REACTING negatively towards an attendee is crucial in maintaining customer relations, whether it is a current customer or a potential one!
Copyright 2009. This article may be shared or referenced as long as the source is cited and linked. No portion of this article may be copied or reproduced without express written permission by the author.
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Great blog post. Interesting and very informative. Seems simple, but we all need to realize that we represent our company 24 hours a day. We need to be enthusiastic, helpful and smile. And its always better to be proactive than reactive.
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Emilie Barta Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Thanks for your comment, Jenise! I am oftentimes amazed at behavior I see at trade shows, especially when people think that others aren’t watching or when they feel they are not “on the clock.”
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Reading your very fine article reminds me of a great piece of rock & roll philosophy courtesy of Cheap Trick: “Everything works if you let it – and you can let it if you try.” It’s amazing how many people on both sides of “the help equation” stand in their own way, and how much more easily things work with a glass-half-full attitude. (I know it works for me.)
Thanks for the shot of inspiration – I hope success is surrounding you today!
- Paul
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Emilie Barta Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Thank you for your rock & roll reference, Paul! And you are absolutely correct…a positive attitude and a willingness to help make situations much easier to handle.
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Hi Emilie, saw this article via Twitter (#eventprofs).
Not sure I agree with you entirely, or perhaps I’m just looking at it from a slightly different POV – sure it may be more personally fulfilling (more likely, it’s just less stressful) to help a kind customer than a rude one. But (and this is an assumption here) if a customer is rude because s/he is thoroughly pissed off at your organisation, being able to help them to the point where they calm down and can have their faith restored in your organisation is probably infinitely more rewarding to the organisation.
A kind customer is probably going to remain a customer. A rude one is on the cusp of being lost forever. A kind, gentle customer is probably also not as passionate as one who can get loud, rude and irate about your organisation. The question is whether that passion can be redirected to becoming an evangelist for your organisation rather than a vocal critic.
That said, I’m always turned off and amazed by how disinterested and lackadaisical the people I’ve seen manning booths have been. Hello! You’ve got an almost captive audience here, and you’re gonna slouch in your chair, mutter incoherently, and point at the brochures?
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Emilie Barta Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Thank you for your point of view, Marc, although I think we are saying the exact same thing!
The point of my post is that oftentimes people in customer service positions are REACTIVE rather than PROACTIVE, meaning that they often treat the customer in the manner in which the customer is treating them. However, as trade show professionals, it is unacceptable to behave in this manner…we have to PROACTIVELY treat every attendee with respect, kindness, and a positive attitude no matter how they approach us. And our body language is more important than ever since we are in face-to-face situations. So the behavior that you mentioned…disinterested and lackadaisical…is REACTIVE and downright uncalled for at a trade show just as you stated.
BTW…your photographs are just gorgeous! ;o)
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Excellent article.
It is hard to do after long days of working a show, but the proactive role is so true. One benefit of being proactive is learning body language of someone who is unhappy and having time to prepare with positive interaction.
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Emilie Barta Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Thank you for the compliment on my article, Susan! Isn’t it a great feeling to turn someone who is unhappy into someone who walks away with a smile on their face?
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I couldn’t agree more. My only addition might be to suggest that much of what we do as professional presenters shouldn’t be expressed as customer service, but, rather, common courtesy.
Best,
Mark Brandyberry, CM
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Emilie Barta Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 am
You are absolutely correct, Mark! Common courtesy is a HUGE part of providing exceptional customer service, and unfortunately one of the first things neglected after working long hours at a trade show.
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