customer service

Look to your customers for answers

If you’re not sure why your company isn’t performing as well as it should, the answer may be closer than you think. Your customers may have the insight you need to figure out what you’re doing well and what you need to improve. Richard Whiteley’s excellent book, The Customer-Driven Company, cites many successful companies that … Read more

STILL MORE GOOFS AND GAFFES

“Will instant replay settle baseball’s furries?”   That was the headline on an online story in the Hendricks County Flyer. I didn’t read the story, so I’m not sure whether it was a discussion of arguments between mascots or just a misspelling of “furies.”   I’m also not sure if someone stumbled onto a miracle … Read more

AUTOMATIC RESPONSES AREN’T ALWAYS SOUND

I’ve railed before about automated email marketing campaigns that lack common sense. For example, when I buy products from a particular office supply store, it tries to resell me the identical product a couple months later with the message that it’s time to refill my order. No, I don’t need another shredder, thanks.

Just as annoying are the companies that send emails asking you to complete reviews of your recent purchases. A case in point was the email I received today from a major hardware retailer. While working on a home repair a few days ago, I needed to replace some rusty bolts, washers, and nuts, so I stopped in and bought a few new ones. I swiped my customer loyalty card when I made the purchase.

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THE PORCELAIN INDICATOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

Want a quick indication of a company’s commitment to customer service? It’s a simple gauge that works just as well for restaurants as it does for retail stores, as for gas stations, as for professional service providers.

Just take a look at the bathroom. No, I’m not kidding. The condition, cleanliness, and comfort of a restroom speak volumes about what a company thinks about its customers (and often, its employees).

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GIVE FRONTLINE STAFF THE AUTHORITY TO FIX THINGS

I called the quick-service restaurant with a large carry-out order, and was told it would be ready at 5:45. At exactly 5:46, I walked in and discovered that nobody had started to prepare my food. The manager muttered an apology and snapped at the crew to get to work, then disappeared from sight.

A smiling teenage employee walked up and said, “Sir, if you’d like to have a seat, I’ll bring your order to you when it’s ready.” I thanked her and declined, primarily because I wanted to watch the kitchen crew prepare my food. I’m funny that way, especially after the cooks have just been scolded.

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CUSTOMERS HAVE THE ANSWERS

Businesses and organizations often struggle to understand why they’re not performing as well as they’d like. In many cases, the answer is a lot closer than they realize. If they took time to talk with … and genuinely listen to … their customers, they would develop a much stronger understanding of what they’re doing right, and what needs to be improved.

In his landmark book The Customer-Driven Company, Richard Whiteley cites many successful companies that aggressively pursue input from customers, and then build what they’ve learned back into their products and processes.

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BENIGN NEGLECT: A DEADLY WEAPON

Most organizations worry that they’re going to lose a customer, client, or supporter because of something they do. But my experience has taught me that more losses are caused by what they don’t do.

Sure, lousy customer service will lose a piece of business now and then. But what I call benign neglect is one of the most consistent ways a business or organization can lose people over time. They’ll slip away gradually, barely even noticed.

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DOING JUST ENOUGH VERSUS REAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

A client was planning to advertise in a publication produced by a printing company with which I had worked in the past. Wanting to verify that the company was still producing that publication, I emailed the customer service contact I had dealt with, and asked her a simple question: is your company still printing this publication?

Her reply didn’t answer my question. “I’m now working in a different department and Jane Doe is now handling projects like that.” Clearly, she didn’t want to be bothered by my request.

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