It snows a lot where I live so I own a really great snowblower.  My neighbour was babysitting it while I had a storage shed built for it at my new house (thanks, Nathan).  Today we had our first significant snowfall so I brought my baby home.  I needed a new padlock for the shed so after I cleared the driveway I went down to the local home hardware store for a padlock, some wood glue (not for the shed), and some windshield washer fluid (also not for the shed - maybe that was obvious).  I arrived 5 minutes before closing but having worked at a supermarket in the past I know there is a small buffer of grace at closing time at most stores.

I walked in intent on being very fast out of respect for the staff itching to go home.  I literally grabbed the glue as I walked by the aisle and headed for padlocks.  I had one in my hand and was about to proceed to the cash when a clerk asked if I needed help.  "So far so good," I thought.  "Not only is he not visibly annoyed that I am shopping just moments before closing time, but he made a friendly offer to help."  As "Ted" casually explained the differences between the store brand and the brand I had in hand, another clerk - let's call him "Bill" - walked up and barked at Ted about needing keys.  He then said to me "It's pretty much 9, dude" in a tone that was, well, not friendly.  Especially compared to Ted.  Even though I really needed washer fluid, I momentarily felt intimidated enough to consider leaving without it.

Clearly Bill's approach is a problem for the store.  It is likely suffering reduced sales at closing time because a staff member is pressuring customers to stop shopping early.  At another store recently a worker turned off the lights in the seasonal department 5 minutes before closing time!  But perhaps the underlying problem is not Bill or the guy who turned off the lights in seasonal.  Bill is not getting commission on sales so he has no monetary incentive to encourage last minute shoppers.  But he has plenty of incentive to discourage them (he gets to go home a few minutes earlier after a long shift).  Depending on the employer, he may not even get paid for being at the store beyond closing time.

I am currently involved in some product development (www.churchradius.com and Project Elm) that will soon give rise to a need for a sales force.  I have started paying a lot more attention to issues around sales and customer service for software products and subscriptions, especially the ways in which they are similar and different from the issues around sales and customer service for software consulting / training / mentoring and other types of business.  Certainly commissioned sales people are much more motivated than a hardware store clerk.  But how do you motivate sales and customer service professionals at "boundary conditions" like five minutes before quitting time or Friday afternoon or the day before starting a vacation - times when cumulative monetary incentives are weak?  How do you instill an empathy for customers' problems that creates a strong desire to help relieve that pain point?

I strongly believe that small things can make a big difference with customers.  A few extra seconds on the phone can differentiate great customer service from merely adequate service.  A little bit of casual conversation can turn a lead into a sale.  And a friendly tone can sell an extra jug of washer fluid.

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