“Hey Joe, your service sucks. Get this kid a chocolate milkshake.”
Those are the words I heard as a child on my first trip to an ice cream shop near where my grandmother lived. Back then, it didn’t take special people or computer programs to determine whether or not a company provided excellent customer service. Customers were ready, willing and able to tell you when things were not up to their satisfaction.
Today, companies large and small use “experts” to find out if they are doing business the way they should.
Sometimes those experts are the accountants who review financial records. Accountants can tell a business owner if he’s making money, and for some, that’s the only requirement for determining whether a business is successful.
Sometimes experts are companies that provide mystery shoppers to verify the deal. Shoppers report cleanliness, employee interaction, ease of being a customer, from the way the store is set up to the amount of time spent waiting in line to make a purchase.
Of these two methods for determining whether or not a company is customer friendly, the latter is more reliable. Still, some employees can spot a professional “buyer” and will provide better service when they believe they are being watched and rated than they otherwise would have.
The best determination of a company’s true standing in the community is from the people it serves. Why, then, don’t more companies ask their customers for feedback? Why are companies not interested in developing programs that win back customers?
Asking customers to complete short surveys makes more sense than hiring a company to provide long surveys completed by expert buyers. Customer loyalty programs work. What does a company lose by offering a regular customer a small percentage discount? It certainly costs less to keep a good client than it does to advertise for new ones.
Providing incentives for customers to introduce their friends to your business could make all the difference in sales and profits. Rewarding existing customers with a small token of appreciation for helping to establish a larger customer base also costs less than advertising more traffic.
It is said that a satisfied customer will tell few if any people about their shopping adventure. That could certainly change if incentives were provided.
A dissatisfied customer wants to scream at the world when they are being disrespected, ignored or misled.
The fact is that the customer is the only real determining factor in measuring the success or failure of any business. Why is it so difficult to learn and understand?
A neighbor who returns to the same auto repair service over and over again is a good indicator of excellent and fair service. Anyone can take someone to their office or store once. Getting repeat business is what helps a business grow and prosper.
What does that carry? Actually, providing good customer service is quite simple.
1) Answer the phone promptly and courteously.
There is nothing more discouraging for a customer than having a phone ring and ring without being answered, or worse, getting a busy signal. When the phone is answered, you want to hear a pleasant voice on the other end, not someone who sounds like they’re interrupting something much more important than your call.
2) Keep promises.
If you can’t keep a promise, it’s much better not to keep it. Trustworthiness is the key to keeping a relationship, business or personal, on track.
3) Show respect to customers.
If you ask for feedback, make sure your customers know that you are listening and using their thoughts and opinions. Show interest in what your customers are saying; don’t act like you’re bored with them.
4) Make returning merchandise or filing complaints a painless endeavor.
If you have a no return policy, please make sure that information is provided when the purchase is made. If you have certain requirements that must be met for a return, please make this clear to the customer. And if a customer complains, don’t make them feel like they’re wrong or stupid. A good return or claim procedure can keep that customer coming back time and time again.
5) Offer suggestions even when you can’t provide the service or merchandise your customer is looking for.
Do you remember the movie “Miracle on 34th Street”? Sending people to Gimble’s didn’t hurt Macy’s in the least. In fact, he endeared himself to Macy’s customers for being so helpful.
6) Show, not just tell.
When a customer is looking for something, it’s helpful to lead them into the aisle instead of pointing at it. Demonstrating the differences in the products, in the way they work or in the prices, also shows that you value your customer.
7) Give away something.
As you complete a transaction with your customer, give them a reason to come back, whether it’s a coupon for a future discount or an invitation to return with a friend for an additional gift.
These simple acts will show customers that you are serious about maintaining your business and can attract more customers than advertising, new promotions or lower prices.
In the old days, the owner of the ice cream shop would probably just ask, “Hey, Bill, how’s it going now?”
And the customer replied: “Better, Joe, much better.”
Perhaps the world is a more complicated place now. But does it really have to be that way? The principles that keep a customer coming back haven’t really changed. “The Miracle on 34th Street” was made in 1947. Sixty years later, we all wish Kris Kringle would send us from Macy’s to Gimble’s if Gimble’s has the best price or product.
