Personalities and Customer Service

In addition to my writing and speaking activities, I work part-time at my local dry cleaner/laundromat and must admit it is one of the most enjoyable jobs I've ever had. Living in a small town means that many of my friends and acquaintances bring in their dirty laundry. (Sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist.) This provides a great opportunity to catch up with people even when I'm working. Another perk is the parade of personalities that file past the counter during a given shift. That is probably the most interesting aspect of my job. So, this week we are going to explore customer service personalities.

The Sanguine Customer

Typical of the sanguine personality, these customers are bright, lively, and always enjoy an over-the-counter chat. I have fun accommodating their talkative nature except when I have a long line of waiting customers; I must graciously move them along. They tend to bring in some of the most vibrant and interesting garments; bold colors and patterns, fringe, colored fur and feathers, and big buttons in every shape imaginable.

One of our customers brought in a simple yet elegant wedding dress. She was talkative and shared the following story: the dress was obtained from a friend who said the bride-to-be could have it if she was willing to pay to get the yellow stain on the front removed. The delighted sanguine brought us the soiled dress and shared her plans to wear it for her upcoming nuptials at an Elvis wedding chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Either the wedding did not happen or she completely forgot about it, because the dress is still hanging on the rack almost a year later. By the way, the yellow stains came out nicely.

The Choleric Customer

This "tough" customer is easy to identify; they tend to be no nonsense when they visit our counter. Most of our law-enforcement and military customers are choleric. They are nice, but want to get down to business and they usually know exactly how they want their clothes cleaned. I seldom chat with these mission-minded people, because as soon as they drop off their clothes they are in pursuit of their next challenge.

We have an older choleric lady who often brings in clothes. She is very nice, but has an abrupt way about her. I don't know if I've ever seen her smile, but if she likes you, she will carry on a pleasant conversation despite the perennial look of seriousness adorning her face.

The Melancholy Customer

Of all the personalities, the melancholy customer usually requires the most time and attention. They want their garments cleaned by the best method available and they tend to worry the most about shrinkage, colors fading, and receiving attentive service. When they pick up their orders, they often go over their clothes meticulously looking for the slightest imperfection. They usually leave our place very happy, but I have sent garments back for touch up because they didn't meet the melancholy's high standard.

They usually bring in the most beautiful and elegant clothes. The colors are fabulous, the styles are classy, and they usually don't have many stains. These customers really appreciate learning the methods that work best on their clothes; methods that will clean them better or help lengthen the life of the garments. The sanguine usually doesn't care (they just want to talk and if the clothes happen to get clean, they are ecstatic), and the choleric wants to get out the door with precision speed so they just tell us what to do. And as we will see, the phlegmatic customer is so easy going, they barely get their clothes to the dry cleaner at all.

The Phlegmatic Customer

What can I say about the phlegmatic customer, except that you've got to love them! They usually bring in the most comfortable garments and, if they are stained, they ask us to do the best we can. And, on the occasions we cannot remove a stain, they tell us, "It's an old shirt, no worries." They don't mind if they have to stand in line for a few minutes while we take care of other customers, and if we get an irate customer the phlegmatic is quick to offer a kind word and a gentle smile. We love our phlegmatic customers. They never linger too long if there are others in line behind them, and they will take whatever change is available when the cash drawer runs low. I once gave a customer 98 cents in change with NO quarters! He left with a smile on his face and a jingle in his pocket.

This easy-going customer seldom requests creases in their pants or heavy starch. Winkles don't bother them, so they aren't inclined to bother trying to avoid them; they just want to be comfortable. God knew what He was doing when He created phlegmatic customers because on some days, they are the only semblance of sanity that walks through our doors.

If you understand your customer's personalities, it is much easier to provide them the service that will meet their emotional needs. This creates return business and helps you not get so uptight when you deal with them face-to-face or over the phone. Whenever one of my co-workers sees a difficult customer coming, I often offer to wait on them. Since I approach all my customers with an understanding of the personalities, I usually have a pleasant "counter" encounter with them. That is probably one reason I love my job so much. I hope you can begin to use your knowledge of the personalities when you deal with customers.

 

(c)2009 Shona Neff

Comments

[Lindy Abbott]

I always enjoy this column so much. I just went online at my church and downloaded a personality test. I found out that I am sanguine and followed by choleric. This is probably no news to you, but know I can have more fun when I read this column...seeing myself through my personality. Thank you doing this column.

Lindy