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Taninski (?!) Moment

“Taninski Warehouse!” was the greeting I heard when I called to answer a help-wanted ad, many years ago. I had never heard of the place. The person who answered the phone said it at the speed of light.



“I’m sorry, can you say that again?” was my response. I hoped for clarity. The ad didn’t give the name of the business. It just gave the general location. It was near me, in a retail district, and I didn't recognize it. 



“Taninski Warehouse” was the reply, again. Now I was uncomfortable. It was an impatient greeting, made worse by an impatient reply to my request to repeat it. I didn’t have the nerve to ask a third time.



Yes, I was frightened by that greeting.



If you are responsible for customer experience, you know a greeting can set the tone for an entire interaction, or even an entire relationship. We cannot smile and wave over the phone, but we can enunciate when greeting customers. 



By slowing it down enough to be clear, we’re telling callers “I have time for you, I’m interested in what you have to say!” It sets the pace for the call and puts them at ease. Once I figured that out, customers no longer called me Pam, Deb, or even Donna. And they were more fun. 



Now I train to that standard.



So – back to Taninski Warehouse. After failing to understand the name (twice!), I silently shrugged and asked to talk to the manager about the position, sure that the name would eventually become clear. When the manager answered the call, I once again asked for the name of the business. 



Mystery solved. It was the Tennis and Ski Warehouse. I was embarrassed then. I’m a very casual tennis player and never had the nerve to ski. I could not add value there. A clear greeting could have saved us all a little time. 



It wasn't a wasted effort, though. I got a funny story, a good lesson, and a new term to use



in the decades to come!


 


Have you had a Taninski moment? Share in the comments!

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