Final answer:
An employee should apologize and offer a solution, stay calm, listen, ask open-ended questions, ensure understanding, and focus on solving the problem to show genuine concern for a customer's complaint while managing other tasks such as opening a register and serving the next customer.
Step-by-step explanation:
To show a genuine concern for the customer's feelings and the complaint while opening a register and taking the next customer in line, the employee should apologize to the customer and offer a solution. This demonstrates that the company values the customer's experience and is willing to take immediate action to resolve the issue. Here are the steps the employee can take to handle the situation professionally:
- Stay calm and listen to the customer's complaint without interrupting, showing that you respect their opinion and are taking their concerns seriously.
- Choose your words carefully and avoid suggesting fault, focusing instead on empathy and understanding.
- Ask open-ended questions to obtain a full picture of the issue and show the customer that you're invested in finding a resolution.
- Restate the customer's concerns to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and to affirm that you are listening.
- After understanding the complaint, focus on solving the problem, not on assigning blame. Offer practical solutions and, if necessary, escalate the issue to a supervisor or HR department when you're unable to resolve the conflict on your own.
By following these steps, the employee can effectively address the customer's needs while maintaining a flow of service for other customers. It's imperative to balance the act of attending to the complaint with the task of keeping the register open for other patrons, thus ensuring all clients are afforded attentive and efficient service.