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Eye Contact

January 4, 2007

At that moment when our eyes are locked in silent communication, we are, in essence, touching. ~Debbie Bailey

Customer service is a key element of any business as customers form impressions based on their interactions with staff. Clothes and logo merchandise are important, but they are no substitute for good customer service. Eye contact, while often overlooked, is essential to providing this. It is through eye contact that you send the message that you are engaged and concerned about your customers.

When I meet someone for the first time, I pay close attention to the way they look at me (now you know how paranoid I am). If they have their head down or are avoiding eye contact, I assume that they are not going to be honest with me. Much like when my then three-year-old daughter came to me saying that the Christmas tree had fallen down by itself she lacked eye contact. As she recounted the story, she stared so intently at her shoes that I thought they might buckle from the heat.

In other cases, lack of eye contact can be interpreted as a lack of confidence and an expectation of rejection. Regardless of which conclusion is made, neither creates is a positive impression. Therefore your customer service policies must stress the importance of eye contact. It is one of those skills that must be learned and reinforced as its application makes a significant difference.

To test the true effects of eye contact in customer-staff exchanges, I tried an experiment. I went to 5 stores and watched how clerks related to customers at check out. Clerks who did not establish eye contact seemed to have no interaction with customers. I also noted that eye contact was avoided particularly in cases when the clerk thought there might be a problem brewing.

Carrying my experiment further, I went to 5 different stores, picked up a small item and then checked out. When I was able to establish eye contact with the cashier, they opened up to me and were very friendly. It was as if my eye contact was the cue they needed to determine whether or not I would relate to them.

While maintaining eye contact is both important and worthwhile, you want to be careful not to end up staring. Staring, looking at someone without any break in eye contact, is not welcome. Being stared at makes people feel uncomfortable as it is viewed as a form of aggression. I have found that if I smile while maintaining eye contact, people are less likely to feel stared at.

Eye contact is so important to each and every business both in terms of customer service and staff exchanges. Now go out and make sure your staff understands the importance of eye contact.

You can do this!