The days of power dressing are back, says Travelodge. Thankfully not yuppie braces and shoulder pads that could take your eye out at 100 paces but now it's all about the gangster look. "Some morning’s my Bar Café will look like a scene from ‘Reservoir Dogs’ due to most of the customers being dressed in black and white clothing," said the hotel manager at Birmingham Central Broadway Plaza. Hopefully not the last scene!
They even drafted in UK psychologist Corrine Sweet to ask what it all meant. Not surprisingly, the recession featured heavily. "Rivalry amongst workers has never been so fierce, therefore in a bid to stand out amongst co-workers, British workers have opted for ‘power dressing’ by wearing black and white...an individual can visually display their authority, seriousness of purpose, professionalism and allow their personality to shine through,” she said.
When dealing with customers or clients, there is something to be said for putting on a suit and feeling more empowered than turning up to work in a pair of jeans and a scruffy Simpson's T-Shirt, but Travelodge has also been rifling through the 14,786 shirts, 1005 discarded business suits, 3,105 forgotten ties and 69,986 socks left behind in their establishments to find out what the most popular colour is. (It's white shirt, black suite, red tie, black socks, by the way).
According to Corrine, colour can shift a mood set and help increase motivation levels. So what "happy" colours did some of the most common professions found in the CRM sphere opt for? Sales people and IT workers opted for blue, which apparently projects a "serene, confident presence", while those in customer service went for white, retail managers opted for black and PR/marketing where pretty in pink.
Of course, whether you wear a Savile Row suit or a yellow tutu, your clothes obviously won't guarantee whether or not you deliver good customer service. Whilst reading up on this, I came across a serious of articles that contained some handy tips on doing just that though:
1. Genuinely listen to your customer's concerns and needs. Do not assume you know what they want.
2. Watch your body language when talking with customers. Don't seem fidgety or preoccupied. Focus your attention on them.
3. Learn to apologise when something goes wrong
4. If a customer ask you a question and you don't know the answer, it's okay to tell them you aren't sure but you will find out (then make sure you follow through).
5. And finally, ask for feedback. You might not always know there is a problem...unless you ask.
Incidentally, next week is National Customer Service Week in the UK - perhaps a good chance to try it for size.
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