Thursday, June 7, 2012

Customer Service For All


Organizations get feedback from a number of sources – email, social media, word of mouth, even from other employees.

There is a strong tendency to jump into action when a complaint is registered – all in the name of customer service.

The urgency and energy spent to respond is almost obsessive in many of us – we gotta fix it; we must change it; we have to overcome it.

It is not a bad thing to pay attention to negative feedback and work to satisfy the disappointed customer or patron.

In the frenzy of the moment, does the remedy become so large it over shadows all the satisfied and loyal customers and patrons. This raises the question – are you serving your strongest supporters? The satisfied customer.

Top notch customer service addresses problems promptly, but also conveys appreciation to the happy users as well.

To illustrate the point – I was in line at a fast food restaurant behind a couple suffering (loudly) an error in their order. The manager rushed out to sooth the situation, offered some free stuff, and ushered the two to a table. Meanwhile I was waiting to order – which went smoothly. Unfortunately, neither the server or the manager offered a comment about the delay or thanks for patience while they addressed a problem with the prior order.

This is a minor event, of course, but it often occurs on a grander scale with similar results – a little oil on the squeaky wheel and ignoring the downstream effect on others.

Customer service is serving the customer and it's a 360 degree activity.

How would you create exemplary care for the customer or patron? 



Join us:

June 12 is the next Capital Technology Management Hub featuring Sales Lab'sRainmaker 14 – The Myth of Full Capacity - 300 seconds of pure profit. The featured speaker will be Cory Lebson of Lebsontech LLC, presenting User Experience: What it Means & Why a Technology Manager Should Care!

4 comments:

  1. Customer service can also be a learning activity.
    "Doc, it hurts when I do that!"
    "Don't do that."

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  2. Dick:

    And the Doc's advice to the next patient who does not display signs of ailments:
    "Just keep doing that."

    We can learn for all our customers.

    Thanks for the comment!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is also important for those elected officials who have to deal with a small but loud constituency. Something to think about when you are trying to grease that squeaky wheel!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Joe:

    Good point - the issue is magnified for folks in public office - the noisy get noticed.

    Thanks for the comment.

    ReplyDelete