The Following Guest
It’s prime season for retailing. The weather is nice, and I’ll be dashing in and out of retailers to shop and observe. After a long time indoors and avoiding people, I enjoy getting out, although I am still mindful of Covid. With mask on, I have recently visited several stores. I can report not much has changed when it comes to training retail associates. In New York, at least, they still shout, “The following guest!” to signal when they are ready to serve the next person.
I don’t know who came up with this awkward phrase. However, I hear it used by retailer after retailer, and none seem to discourage it. It has not occurred to management to train retail associates to say something more unique about their brands, or anything inviting, seasonal, articulate, or grammatical. Everyone follows (pun intended) the same script – Starbucks, Banana Republic, Target, Macy’s, and more – all staffed by young people repeating what they hear others say. They believe they are doing a great job of serving patrons and moving the line along. They throw in the word, “guest” I suppose, intending to dress things up a bit, but this phrase sounds completely ridiculous to me. I do not want to be referred to as “the following” (which is how some clever associates economize words.) If you refer to guests in your home, as “the following” you would not have many friends. Here we are, at this exciting moment, welcoming buyers back to retail, trying to make up for lost time, and we cannot think of anything other than, “the following” to call the folks that will keep us from going out of business. If you own or manage a retail business, don’t allow this.
You will never go wrong using words such as: welcome, sir, or ma’am. I know that sounds old fashioned, but so is having a business that lasts a long time. However, if you want an alternative, how about three words? Try “Welcome to XYZ.” That’s right, welcome everyone standing in line or glancing your way to signal you’re ready to serve them. Want to go crazy? How about: “I can serve you here, sir.” No one wants to be “next,” or “the following guest.” While you’re at it, try saying “You’re welcome,” or “it’s my pleasure” rather than “no problem,” when someone says, “thank you.” Be the first to say, “thank you.” Just one more. Stop calling everyone, “guys.”
Among our greatest powers as premier and luxury marketers is language. It is our stage, our show, and our moment. We can say whatever we want. How about something elegant? Unique language and complete sentences have diminished so, that I constantly alert businesses this is the easiest and fastest way to differentiate your business. If you allow the person, you just hired to bring to your business the same thing they said over at another retailer, what is distinctive about your experience? I know it is work, to think about what to say, and to get everyone to comply and be consistent, but that is what great retail is about. If you’re not up to it, I hope you don’t mind becoming known as “the following” retailer, as your business will be forgotten. Otherwise, this is a good time to improve what you say to customers and improve what they remember about you.
Write me at: info@andretaylor.com to get more tips on language to differentiate your business.
At Taylor Insight we help premier and luxury businesses excel and grow by attracting, retaining, and growing with affluent clients. We provide exceptional strategic, marketing, sales, and service guidance, and a portfolio of high-impact learning programs.
