Why aiming to satisfy customers is a recipe for disaster

The cold hard facts about Customer Service in Australian Small Business

Let’s face it: Everywhere you go, the service stinks. Think about it… When was the last time you were on the receiving end of bad service? I bet it was recent, because it happens pretty much every day. But see if you can remember 1 really great customer service experience in the last 2 weeks. Not so easy, is it?

But things are different in your business… aren’t they?

Here are the 8 cold hard facts about why most customer service stinks, and how to stand head and shoulders above the crowd.

1. ”Satisfied” just isn’t good enough anymore—there is so much competition that aiming to satisfy isn’t going to cut it. Your aim should be to create raving fans: Customers who are so happy with you that they go and tell their friends as if they were your salespeople.
   
   
2. People are pickier—and they notice every little mistake with a critical eye. To succeed, you must carefully manage the details of your business.
   
   
3. You are on Show—like it or not, your customers are watching your team’s every move. So don’t just train your people how to do their job, make sure they are trained in how to deliver the job to the customer with confidence, attention and presence.
   
   
4. They don’t trust you—and they’re watching you like a hawk to see how you keep your promises. Always under promise and over deliver. It’s far better to make the minimum commitment possible and live by it than to raise expectations and let them down.
   
   
5. Everything matters—from the way your building looks, to how the phone is answered… even how easy it is to find a park. Jan Carlzon, head of Scandinavian Air Systems discovered that when a typical passenger put down his tray and found a coffee stain that had been overlooked during the pre-flight cleanup of the plane, the passenger concluded that the airline was probably careless about its engine maintenance also.
   
   
6. 90% of unhappy customers never complain… to your face—So things may not be rosy just because you don’t get any complaints. Most people avoid confrontation, so rather than tell you, they’ll just stop using you. Oh, one more thing… They won’t tell you, but studies show that on average, an unhappy customer tells between 9-20 other people how badly they were treated by your company.
   
   
7. People don’t forgive, and they don’t forget—So it’s not OK that the mistake happened “just this once” If they’re treated badly, that’s a memory that will stick around for a long time. People hold grudges, unless…
   
   
8. You Recover spectacularly—If your team does mess up, here’s what to do. Respond to the complaint immediately by listening, making sure they feel understood, and over fixing the problem—and chances are you’ve got a customer for life.

You can learn the secrets of the Service Cycle, T-Bars and Moments of Truth (and sort your service issues out quickly) in a complimentary 60 minute Service Success Coaching Session with Steve Smit.