Two Cashiers Taught Me the Real Secret to Great Customer Service

Buying a birthday present… “We have these tote bags. They’re so practical,” she told me. I was secretly buying a birthday present for my sister. “I’m looking for Hello Kitty merch,” I told her when I entered the store. My sister was turning 30, but still adored Hello Kitty. She left the register and guided me to a red aisle with almost every Hello Kitty item you can imagine. When I showed her a photo of my sister, she recommended the right lipstick—Hello Kitty-themed, of course. “OK, I trust you,” I said and went with her recommendation. After a few minutes, buying a lotion… Moments later, I was in a skin-care store. It was a single-aisle store, bottles of all sizes behind bright, mirrored selves. I pulled out my phone and showed a photo of the lotion I needed to buy. “Have you used it before?” the cashier asked me. “It’s an errand,” I said. “You can buy a refill instead,” she searched for the lotion on the shelves. “Did you know that’s only the first step in a good skincare routine?”…