Courtesy Is the Minimum for Doing Business

“Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals, and I’ll give you a stock clerk.” — J.C. Penny

I visited a hardware store to buy a water hose and two hose connectors. Upon entering, “This is the store with the helpful hardware person,” I located a “clerk,” who said, “Do you need anything?” Me: “No, I have nothing to do, so I thought I would come in and enjoy your air-conditioned store.” That isn’t what I said.?

I asked for his help finding two water hose couplings. When he showed me two plastic connectors, I said, “I’ve already tried the cheap ones, and they don’t work. I want a better product.”

At that moment, someone standing behind us interrupted our conversation. He asked, “Do you have anything to eliminate squirrels?” To my surprise, the clerk said, “I don’t know, but let’s look over here at a couple of aisles.” And they walked away.

That didn’t seem very smart. I am a current customer. I am spending my money and not looking for a “maybe product.” I don’t think this clerk understood the concept of customer service or remembered the wise saying, “You dance with the one that brought you.”

It does not matter if you are a customer or a salesperson. Courtesy is the minimum requirement for doing business.