I worked in retail for 1 year and it was awful. I was constantly dealing with customers who thought that they were right, but who were absolutely wrong. Humility came into play because I had to learn that I could choose to get mad at the customers or I could choose to try and explain the situation in a humble manner. I built a lot of great relationships with customers because I took the time to explain things instead of being conceited. In retail, humility is key to sales. There are many times that customers are rude and will do anything to cheat the system, but being humble instead of “proving” that we are right often works best.
Ephesians 4:2 states, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” One of the key principles of Christianity is humbling ourselves before God and others. But as Professor Sweet pointed out, humbling ourselves before others can help in the sales process. Being humble allows us to look at things from the customer’s perspective. C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” When we see through the customer’s eyes, we can understand why they feel the way they feel and we can help to convince them into a sale without coming across as conceited. Humility is all about thinking of what the customer wants and needs instead of what we want. Since Christ has called us to humble ourselves before others, I believe that if we humble ourselves in sales and business instead of following culture, God will honor that.
BoweryJE22
Really great reminder, Allie. I’ve never worked in customer service myself, but many of my friends have and I definitely never envied them after they’d tell me about some horrific encounters with those they dealt with on a daily basis.
On the flip side, when we’re the ones upset with a company, it’s also important to remember that the customer service rep isn’t the one directly responsible for our poor experience so we shouldn’t take frustrations out on them.
I love this. You are spot-on when you say that “dealing with customers who (think) that they (are) right, but who (are) absolutely wrong” is an awful feeling. I think, in that moment, there is a terrific battle going on between the “get mad” and the “try and explain the situation in a humble manner.”
I don’t know if this has been your experience, but in mine, the latter doesn’t always work. I suppose that is why many salespeople are taught: “The customer is always right.” Granting the wrong customer rightness, however, twinges my conscience.
Later in Ephesians 4 Paul talks about speaking “the truth in love,” which is what I think you were alluding to. It has been my experience, however, that some just can’t handle the truth.
Proverbs 9:8 says: “Do not rebuke mockers, or they will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”
I suppose being a salesperson requires discernment – discerning between the customer to whom you grant “rightness,” and the customer who is ready to handle the truth in love.
But if I must grant “rightness” to the wrong customer at times, I don’t know if I want to be a salesman.
As I said, I think there is a terrific battle going on when situations like these are confronted, and it is an awful feeling.
This is so true. I think it is advantageous to approach all of life with humility, but the benefits of humility may be more visible in some areas, like selling. I used to work in customer service as well and there has been more than one occasion where a little bit of humility on my part has prevented a fiasco from ensuing.