Schmoozing has no place in Business

Schmoozing is a practice best left behind in the somewhat dark ages of customer service.  Yes.  I said it, and there is good reason why.  When I hear that word it naturally conjures up an image of sleazy used car salesmen.  Why, then, would we say when we are out with a customer trying to get their business that we are schmoozing them?

Schmoozing, in my opinion, is a process where we treat the customer as if his only asset or benefit is his money.  Hardly ever is there a genuine business-client relationship built.  The customer gets a superficial "warm and fuzzy" feeling but deep down the only aspect you as the service provider care about is his money and your profit margin.  Sounds pretty shallow doesn't it?  

The problem is that corporate America in general operates this way on a day-to-day basis.  Have you watched a single commercial in the last decade?  For example, I went into a local AutoZone and when I went to check out they tried to push me to buy Techron fuel injector cleaner. The sales person insisted it was the "best."  I kindly refused but was given warnings of how I was neglecting my vehicle maintenance and hurting my car.  I brushed that warning off.  I heard it two months ago when they were trying to peddle Gumout brand injector cleaner and two months before that when they were pushing Lucas fuel cleaner.  If I remember I was told those were the "best" as well.  So which is the best really?

We constantly think sleazy used car sales tactics when we think schmoozing, but I generalize it more as a specific interest in just the money the customer brings to the table.  When we think that way, we leave a lot on the table.  True, the bottom line is important.  Profit and loss is important.  Invoicing and collecting payment is important. The trouble is that at some point a schmoozer is going to be perceived as disingenuous and that is where he gets in trouble. Some businesses will do everything they can to extract as much out of the customer they can monetarily. They try to steer you to high profit products as impulse buys and give you reminders to get everything you need to complete the job. Nothing wrong with this practice, until you have a customer service representative borderline lying to get you to buy something. I consider this schmoozing.

So what is right? First, build a relationship of trust with the customer. When the customer trusts you and you show genuine concern for them, you will steer them to what they need. When you care more about the customer than their money, you will not only earn a fair wage for what you do today, but you will have their trust for as long as you don't damage it. And since you aren't being superficial, you won't do anything to ruin their confidence.

Here's another benefit. Customers can provide you with more than just money. They share with their friends and neighbors about your honesty. They stop by to check on their car and buy lunch for you. They are just a phone call away when you need to use their car in a car show. They can be a creative influence and an honest opinion when you are stuck. There is more, but I think you get the point.

They don't have to be your inner circle of friends. All that is required of you is to be honest and hold fast to your principles. You need to act as a professional and avoid being a schmoozer. Some folks think it takes special means to do this, but in reality it is just that simple. Maybe that is why so many people are schmoozers and wonder how they don't have good customer service skills.

Additionally some folks fear being honest will drive people away since in certain circumstances what the customer needs at the time might be expensive. They rationalize that the customer needs to be brought down slowly and maybe a little white lie inserted into the spiel will help lends credence to the story. I was told this by people I used to know. The truth is, you don't bluntly approach in that case. You lay out the facts and how you came to the conclusion. You act in honesty. If your customer rejects what is needed after that and they trust you, then they don't have the means to do what they need to have done. Plain and simple. In fact you might have earned a long standing customer just for being so honest, though maybe not at that moment.

So be customer service oriented and try being honest. I can say that I'm always working at this. I am in no means a perfect person, but I pledge to do this better as the days go by.