Final answer:
In a business setting, when serving a customer and the phone rings, the best action is to excuse yourself, answer the phone, inform the caller you will be right with them, then return to the in-person customer. This shows respect to both parties but prioritizes the in-store customer whom you were already assisting.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question regards customer service and prioritizing tasks effectively within a business setting. It poses a common scenario for someone working in retail or other customer-facing roles where multitasking is often necessary. You are with a customer completing a sale when the phone begins to ring, and the company policy is to answer phone calls within 2 rings. In this situation, the ideal course of action would be dependent on the business protocol and whether you are alone in the shop or with colleagues who can assist. However, if you must decide alone and there is no one else to answer the phone, the most professional approach would be to excuse yourself briefly from the customer with whom you are completing the sale, answer the phone, quickly inform the caller that you are serving another customer and will return to them shortly, and promptly return your attention to your in-person customer. This balances the need to provide good customer service to both the in-store customer and the caller.
Etiquette, such as placing a napkin on your lap when seated at a dining table or how long to wait on hold during a call, is about being respectful and considerate of others. Similarly, how you handle a situation where you serve a customer and need to answer the phone within a specific timeframe, like 2 rings, requires you to be respectful of both customers' time.