Customers Speak: We’ll Train You on What We Want & Deserve! #custserv
by Kate Nasser | 2 Comments »
Customers Speak: This is What We Want & Deserve!
Great customer service and wonderful customer experience is one simple characteristic come to life — ease! We can make a much longer list.
Yet when customers speak, it comes down to one underlying wish — ease. Every time customers speak, they are saying, “If you’ll listen, we’ll train you on the ease we want and deserve. You want and deserve it when you are the customer.”
Customers Speak: This is What We All Want! Image by Chrisin Plymouth via Flickr Creative Commons License.
Customers Speak: We All Want Ease!
- The road warrior business travelers want low stress to retain high energy. When we say our luggage is lost, don’t correct our words and call it delayed. Apologize for the inconvenience, locate it, and get it to us. Aah … ease!
- The parents renting your space for their child’s special event want everything to flow well. When we ask for something extra at the last minute, don’t read us the signed agreement. Tell us if you can do it and for how much more money. Aah … ease!
- The elite customers paying loads of money want to be pampered. When we wish you a wonderful day, don’t tell us it’s only wonderful when you’re done with work. Let us live the short dream that life is wonderful. Aah … ease!
- The gift card recipients want to buy themselves a treat. Don’t confuse us with complicated terms and exclusions. Make it as easy as using cash or a debit card. Aah … ease!
- The customers suggesting customer service improvements want their ideas noted and considered. Don’t tell us the problem. Don’t tell us why things are the way they are. Thank us for the suggestion and explore its possibilities. Aah … ease!
- The business customers working hard for success want the supplier to deliver with no mistakes. Don’t just believe everything will be OK. Have a backup plan to keep our success alive even when you slip up. Aah … ease!
- The dissatisfied customers want the problem resolved without a fight. Don’t keep us from the promised land by quickly saying no and staffing unempowered reps. Listen to our situation and work with us before we yell. Aah … ease!
The Story When Customers Speak
- Consider what happened to one of my blog readers, Karen Bacot. She had fasted for two days in preparation for a medical procedure. The doctor’s office called the day of the procedure to confirm — a later date! Karen explained that the office had made a mistake and she was coming today. The office rep said bluntly that they hadn’t made a mistake and they couldn’t possibly do her procedure today.
Karen persisted, “Do I need to remind you that you are talking to someone who hasn’t eaten in two days?” This plea finally broke through the office rep’s uncaring mental block. The rep connected Karen to someone who worked with her to resolve the issue.
All customers speak one universal wish — ease! Why make the interaction tough? Eventually the rep connected Karen to someone who could help. Why not do that at the start? The stress served no purpose. It also left a very bad uncaring customer service impression of that healthcare office’s brand.
Service Providers: What Makes Ease So Tough?
Mistrust.
Do you trust customers or believe that most will do things to undermine your success? Your mistrust will create obstacles that block customer ease. Your mistrust can drive them into the bank rolls of those who trust them.
Fear.
Are your procedures designed to protect your business more than they provide for customer ease? Companies who live in fear of every possible mishap for themselves complicate service delivery. Still customers speak one request — ease — to their next service provider.
Touch of greed.
Are you so micro-focused on daily profit, you don’t see the chances to give a little extra for customer ease? Customers reward service providers who always give a little extra — flexibility, respect, gratitude, and of course ease!
From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™
Other Posts for You:
21 Tips to Make It Easy for Customers
Customer Experience: The Opposite of Convenience May Surprise You
6 Needless Costly Customer Service Mistakes
©2014 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.
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I’m with you 100%, Kate! I had a problem with my home phone – no dial tone for over a week. Call after call the customer service team was not remotely helpful and I knew more about the resolution than they did. The last person I spoke to was giving me another explanation of what they know on their end and I stopped her to politely let her know that rehashing what already happened would not help. She then asked me the golden question: What do I want from her? My response: Make it easy for me. You know what? After I was crystal clear? She did.
Exactly exactly exactly Alli! In the midst of any difficult, make it easy — that’s what customers want.
Thank you for adding your story to this message. Very grateful!
Kate