Whether you're selling loans, homes, computers, widgets, or are a stay at home Mom, your own personal person-to-person "customer service" when there is a problem is a benchmark of your ultimate success.
How do you react when someone complains to you?
There are several typical approaches:
1. Some people take it personally, get defensive and aggressive.
2. Others simply ignore complaints.
3. Some blame it on others.
4. Some get efficient and solve the problem without dealing with the person's feelings.
5. And others greet all complaints with delight. DELIGHT!
Delight? Why? How could you be delighted when someone complains? Because, she said confidentially, people only complain to you when they want to continue the relationship! Isn't that delightful? (Well, except for Mr. X , but that's a story for another day.)
Think about the last time you had a problem at a retail store with maybe a slow check out. If it's a store where you seldom shop, for a product that you can easily get elsewhere, you may very well just leave the product on the counter and walk out.
But if you encounter a slow check out at a store that is usually efficient, you may be quietly understanding; knowing that this is the exception not the rule. Or you might talk with the manager.
Even if you are aggravated and angry about the slow service, the only reason you'd take your time to talk with the manager is if you wanted to continue to shop there. In essence you are giving them a second chance to apologize, make it better and win you back.
This is the single biggest area where you have a chance at increasing your profitability, repeat customers and referrals. This is the place where you build lasting relationships and a better bottom line because repeat customers are responsible for 8 times the profit of a new customer!
Anyone can give good customer service when things are going well - at work or at home. It's when things go wrong, systems break down, or unforeseen obstacles pop up, that you have a chance to demonstrate your commitment to the relationship.
Just what are you willing to do to make this work? To make this right? To forge a stronger bond?
Have you ever broken a bone? It HURTS! But if you give a little extra care and coddle it for a few weeks, it is stronger because that bone has been reinforced as it healed. Broken relationships are like that too.
If the store manager says, "Thank you for telling me. Let me get another clerk up at the front and let me personally check you so you can get on your way. You'll think, WOW! He actually cares!, and he didn't get mad. HE THANKED ME?!?! And you'll continue to shop there.
And you might tell your friends.
With your customers, when you can "make it better", they often tell their friends, "We had a nasty thing happen while we working with Pat and Pat made sure it was fixed in no time. It's good to know people who can efficiently deal with problems when they come up. We'll use Pat again."
Relationships that last a long time, including customers, clients, marriages and parenting, are never problem-free, but the people involved have learned how to confront issues and deal with them with some charm and grace.
The next time an inevitable problem arises, greet the complaint with delight, deal with the problem efficiently, the people considerately, and you will maintain the relationship.
