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Customers may forgive you for not saying it right, but it will still grate on your customer’s nerves to hear his or her name spoken wrong repeatedly.

3) Being too formal or informal when using a customer’s name. Some people prefer to use their name; some prefer an honorific such as “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Miss,” “Ms.,” “Ma’am,” “Sir,” etc.

It is far more respectful to start off by being formal and letting your customer tell you their preference. Hence, the best practice for using the customer’s name is as follows:

BEST PRACTICE
Use your customer’s name in a way that shows respect and begins to build rapport.

Rule 2: Always shake your customer’s hand

For decades, sales and service people have been taught to shake hands in order to connect and build trust and rapport with their customers. However, there are a number of situations where offering a handshake can create more tension than trust. The reasons for this are as follows:

1) Cultural issues. There are many cultures and religions in which handshaking is either forbidden or considered rude. If you are dealing with a multi-cultural customer base, learn all you can about the appropriate ways to greet and welcome them.

2) Social anxiety. For some people, the mere thought of having to shake hands creates a level of tension that can ruin the entire interaction.

3) People with compromised immune systems. In 1918, the town of Prescott, Ariz., outlawed handshaking to attempt to slow down the spread of the flu epidemic.

Many people have been told by their doctors that they should not shake hands in order to protect their fragile immune systems. There are also perfectly healthy people who are afraid of the germs that can be transmitted by a handshake.