Customer satisfaction, you’ve heard of it. We stand behind “the customer is always right” to the point of ridiculous on many occasions. Whether they are a pleasant, easy-going customer or the grumpy, hard to please type, we treat them with respect because they do matter to us. We have a zillion reasons they are valuable, and as difficult as some of them can be at times, we fall back on that list frequently!
- they pay the bills
- we need their references on our ‘Happy Customers List’
- we build our portfolios on the work we do for them
- they will talk of our great service and drop our names
- every customer is a link to a new customer, etc.
Those are all very important, familiar reasons we put up with difficult and sometimes unfriendly customers, but even so, no one likes to be treated rudely or unfairly, ourselves included. When our customers are not-so-easy-to-please, how do we treat them in such a way that they will come back to us much easier to satisfy?
- The first thing we do is recognize that they did not have to choose us, but they did.
- Since they did choose us, they are worthy of the same respect another more reasonable customer would receive.
- Smile. Smile when you talk on the phone, type on the keyboard, and absolutely when you are speaking face-to-face. A smile will transform how you see them, remind you to be friendly at all times, and will translate through every medium–even the phone line!
- Make sure every detail is expertly thought out and executed.
- Do the very best job you are capable of doing.
- Present your service or product with confidence, ready to meet resistance with understanding and suggest an alternative if one exists.
Some people just won’t be satisfied. When you’ve done all you can, that’s all you can do. No matter what, don’t loose your cool.
Its not easy saying the right thing when you feel you’ve been insulted or when you’ve gotten your feathers ruffled! Having a game plan will help you to speak calmly and resolve the issue while preserving your dignity!
How do you treat your customer?
Photo Credit: chez sugi on flickr
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This is a list that anyone in the customer service field needs to keep in front of them at all times. I have worked with the public now for over 10 years, and I know how frustrating it can be when people act crude, immature, selfish, irate, etc…but at the end of the day, if you have done your part to keep your cool (like you said), you can walk away with a clean conscience.
Customer service is a very important part of business relations if you wish to have a company to last longer then a few years. When you cannot serve the customer’s needs fully, it typically spells the end for you as a company.