Friday, April 07, 2006

TARGET Misses the Bullseye but their Customer Got IT!

Have you ever been in search of batteries? Then all of a sudden you became overwhelmed. So many different types. So many different brands. I thought this is crazy. Don't get me wrong more is better! But more is also a lot MORE confusing. I learned from sales more choices doesn't always make your customer more happy to buy. Just the direct opposite. Most of the time it just creates more internal confussion. Has that been your experience too?

Well today as I was becoming even more confused over what batteries to choose. Should I buy Alkaline? Or should I buy Nickel batteries? Would the Lithium batteries be what I need? Or would the slick little, neat little, silver & green batteries that are rechargeable work better for me? Yeah those were the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. I'd pay close to $3.00 more for the rechargeable battery kit with 4 batteries included. I'm thinking... would the 4 batteries be far more worth it to me than to buy batteries I'll end up throwing away?

As the many brands, types, colors and designs were swimming in my head as I squatted in the store crouched in front of the battery display case, a young teenager asked me "Are you finding everything okay?" I told him no! What's the difference between all these batteries and why should I choose the NMH batteries over the throw away Alkaline? He stood there explaining to me the differences and why he felt that my best choice would be the Lithium rechargeable batteries. Well after searching for another five minutes we did not find any! Only the NMH batteries were there.

Then he and I began to talk a whole bunch about computer related things when out of the blue a man walked up to him and said "were about to leave now". This older man was actually his father. Now I'm really blowed away because all the time a young kid has been taking care of me as if he were a TARGET clerk. He said I love the challenge of learning anything about technical information.

So the next time you're confused about your next purchase don't get frustrated or even thrown off guard. Just pray for a guardian angel in the form of a technically intellectual young kid who knows more about providing great customer service than the workers in the store. Well TARGET missed the bullseye today but their customer got it!