As a single woman walking into a winery, I know that I am not necessarily their favorite type of customer.
Sometimes I can see by the look on the server’s face that she/he does not think I am going to buy much from her or him. If I can tell that the servers are not particularly thrilled to see me and do not believe I am going to result in a large sale for the winery, then I am likely not to be treated too well.
It is not that the person behind the bar is rude. But they often make it clear that they believe that I am not going to buy a case of wine or even a couple of bottles. They just go through the routine of pouring the wine and then do other things behind the bar.
The problem with this is that the less that the person behind the bar thinks I will buy, the less I probably will buy. Not because, before I entered the winery, I had decided this was a one-bottle stop, but because I am aware that I am not expected to buy anything and unless I am amazed by the brilliance of the wine, I probably won’t.
Even though we don’t consciously think about whether the server is happy to see us or not, we usually know from their facial expressions, tone of voice, and stance.
The fact is that we never know what our visitors can afford to buy or are planning to buy. When I spent more time behind the bar and assumed how and what people would or would not buy from me, I never knew if my attitude or ideas that they weren’t going to buy had affected their decision. The best thing Is not to assume. If you are wrong, you could lose the sale.
A tip of the glass from me to you!
