A bad customer service habit that nobody seems to talk about are workers who get so wrapped up in the task they are performing that they don’t see a customer standing right in front of them! I’m not talking about for just for a second or two either, but a really unacceptable period of time. It’s SO annoying!

 Not detecting a customer immediately can make them feel anxious, irritated, an interruption or unimportant. If they apologize to you for interrupting, you can be assured this is how they are feeling and you’ll feel like a heel.  If you’ve made the customer angry chances are they’ll let you have it!

Working with someone who does this can be extremely frustrating. Sure, anyone can get caught off guard once or even twice but what’s truly baffling to the rest of us is how often the unaware are chronic offenders. Apparently oblivious to clients standing right in front of them regardless of how many times you’ve called attention to the fact that they have a customer waiting to be noticed.

If the offender is you, the fix is to remain awake and aware. Train yourself to look up and take in your surroundings every 10-20 seconds. Don’t worry, you won’t look like you’ve developed a nervous tic, all that’s needed is a quick flick of the eyes or glance over your shoulder. To keep yourself alert throughout the day make sure you are well rested and stay hydrated. Take mini breaks to take a deep breath, stretch or walk around when performing monotonous tasks or if you’re having a day where you’re just dragging your feet treat yourself to a little extra caffeine.