 |
Grumpy
Must Have Been a Make-You-Happy Customer Service Fanatic
|
In September of 2006 I presented my Make-You-Happy Customer Service and
Management System at our Client Appreciation Conference and EXPO held
here in Seattle. At the conference, I asked people in the
audience about how many of them get “Who’s the
Boss”
Customer Service (that customer service that says to you they really
understand that “I, the customer, am the boss.”)
How many
of you get that kind of customer service most of the time? Almost no
hands went up. When I said half of the time, a few hands went
up. When I said 25% of the time most of the hands in the room
went up. When I said 10% of the time, again, a few hands went
up.
Frankly, I was a little surprised that people attending the conference
said that they got “Who’s the Boss”
customer service
25% of the time, because for me it’s more like 10% of the
time. I think it’s because I’ve harped on
exceptional
customer service so long that maybe I have gotten a bit
jaded.
Maybe my expectations of exceptional customer service have gone beyond
what’s likely to happen. Well, I do get it 10% of the time so
I
know it’s possible to I’m going to stay where I
am.
I’m going to stay with my fanatical approach to exceptional
customer service.
But I need to warn you. When you get to the point where I am,
you’re likely to be grumpy more often, because
you’ll go
into places wanting and expecting exceptional customer service, and
you’re not going to get it. Like today, when I went
to
lunch. Most of the time when I go shopping or to a
restaurant,
I’ll say something to the clerk whether the clerk says
anything
or not. But every once in a while, because I’m a
customer
fanatic and now a guy who writes customer service newsletters and gives
customer service advice, I don’t say anything. I
want see
what their customer service is like if I don’t saying
anything to
start. I’m absolutely amazed at how often the clerk
on the
other side of the counter says absolutely nothing.
When I went to restaurant today, I did my little test and planned to
not say anything until the clerk did. The clerk came to the
register and looked at me - no smile - not a word. She just
came
to the register and looked at me.
I gave her my order, she told me the price - I gave her my money - she
gave me my change - and said nothing. In the entire process
the
only word that was spoken was the price of the meal. No
greeting,
no thank you... nothing but the price.
One of the things I think is absolutely critical for any retailer or
any business for that matter is to have secret shoppers. People who
shop your business, and report to you what they find.
While you may be Grumpy more often when you become a Make-You-Happy
Customer Service Fanatic, it will also put a smile on your face when
you realize how crummy most service is. You’ll
smile as you
realize that the more people get crummy customer service the easier it
is for you to give what is perceived as Exceptional Customer Service!
|
|
|
|
