(Tim Miles is reliving the best and worst parts of the summer of 1977 – attempting to visit 14 states in 14 days with his family and only Pringles, Hawaiian Punch, and spray cheese for provisions. He’s banned iPads and is forcing his family to enjoy car bingo, the license plate game, AM radio, and the occasional 8-track tape. In his absence, Ryan Patrick has the conn.)
Last week, I introduced you to some awful advertising clichés. But I’ve saved the worst for this week…
“Come meet our friendly, knowledgeable staff!”
Really?
Your employee is ALWAYS friendly? Even on that day when his alarm didn’t go off and he had to take a shower with no hot water and then spilled coffee all over his only clean work shirt as he was on his way to being 45 minutes late to work? That guy is going to be a ray of sunshine from 9 to 5?!
“Okay, but they’re knowledgeable.”
Are you sure you want to make that claim? See, the first time I walk in to your establishment and ask the part-time college student behind the counter what I perceive to be a simple question and yet she can’t give me a simple answer, she is no longer “knowledgeable.”
And if I can’t believe “friendly, knowledgeable staff,” should I assume other advertising claims you’ve made are false as well?
You set your employees up for failure by making promises in two areas in which you have no control:
1) Their mood
2) Their mental capacity.
Instead of touting “friendly,” assure me that your team is always ready and willing to help me find a solution to my problem.
Prove “knowledgeable” by explaining your training process. (Hours of study, required experience, testing, etc.)
Better yet, don’t tell.
Show.
photo credit: Cayusa via photopin cc
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