CREATING
AWESOME CUSTOMER VALUE
Today
most companies understand that customers are not just important to
their business, they are their business. Without them they have nothing.
Thus almost
every company puts a great deal of emphasis on customer service. Unfortunately,
most customers would find that hard to believe. I ask nearly every
audience I address how many people have experienced poor service in
the past 14 days.
Usually 75% of them put their hand up!
One of the reasons for this appalling record is that most companies make customer
service, like almost everything else they do, far too complicated. They talk
about delighting customers and exceeding their expectations when in reality
they can’t even meet them. Most simply cannot get the basics right.
At the end of the day, customer service is very basic. Customers don’t really
demand much -just these seven things:
Access to the person or information they seek. Customers want to know who they
should talk to or where they have to go to get the information they need. And
they want it to be quick and easy to get there. People who run call centres
need to understand this (“We’re sorry, all of our agents are busy right now
...”)
Welcomed. Customers want to see you are keen to have their business. Look happy
to see them. After all, you spent enough money attracting them into your business
in the first place. They want to be treated politely, courteously and with
respect at all times.
Explain. Customers want to be able to tell you about their needs or problems.
More importantly, they want to see that you are listening and that you understand.
Don’t assume you know what they want. Ask questions .Listen. And learn.
See that you care about helping them and are competent to do so. Customers
want to see that you want to help them and that you take their problem seriously.
Act with urgency and show them that you have the knowledge, skills and experience
to be able to provide the solutions they are seeking.
Options. Customers want to be in control and that means they need choices.
They want to do business with you in a way that works for them - not in a way
that works for you. That means you have to be flexible and willing to adapt.
Make an informed choice. Customers need information about their options, and
about the pros and cons of each. Often they want a recommendation with reasons
to support it.
Execution. Customers want you to do what they asked you to do and what you
said you would do And, they want it done right first time. Results, not excuses,
are what your customers are paying for.
How well is your company doing these? Remember that a desk is a dangerous place
from which to view the world. Ask your customers. Ask your front-line staff.
Ask ex-customers. You may not hear what you would like to hear but the first
step to fixing a problem is to face it, to admit that it exists. After you
have listened to your staff and customers, you will know the gap between what
customers want and what they are getting. Now all you need to do is identify
what is stopping your business from giving customers the service they want
and then work to remove these obstacles. Again, your staff will be able to
help you here.
Delivering first class customer service is tough to do, but like all other
aspects of running a business, it is not complicated. And, it is what you get
paid to do.
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