Have you ever walked into a business and started talking to the person behind the counter, only to be bombarded with a pile of opinions about fairly personal issues? Some people insist on giving their views on everything, to everyone, and this can easily offend.
While I encourage sincere conversation with customers, it's important not to cross the line. How do you know what their political or religious are? I remember waiting in a queue at a petrol station once while the attendant was busy telling a customer a joke about a gay man. The station was full of people and no one laughed when the punch line was delivered. It was inappropriate, and the poor fool behind the counter didn't even realize his error of judgment after the event.
There are a number of issues that I feel shouldn't be discussed in a customer service situation. The main ones are:
- religion
- politics
- sexuality
- personal details
- race issues
It's important to train your staff to avoid discussing these topics and to be aware of them yourself. Inappropriate discussions can cost customers. Stick with safe topics that still enable you to have an opinion but which are unlikely to cause any insult to your customers.