Best Read Friday - Making Customers Remember You

CUSTOMER LOYALTY EARNED...

From the local grocery store to the hotel to the car dealership, customer service can make or break the desire to continue to spend money.  Rolling out the red carpet can increase the revenue just by word-of-mouth and social media.  But a poor remark on twitter can be costly depending on the number of followers and social media rank of the customer.  

Check out this article on the ways to increase customer satisfaction with some real-life examples of how companies go the extra mile to retain customer loyalty.

For more information on gauging customer loyalty as it relates to successful businesses, please be sure to check out the book Get A Clue - 10 Steps to an Executive IQ.

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Posted in: bad business,business planning,customer experience,customer service,Get A Clue,new business,Temeko Richardson

Customer Service Lows Are Competitor Highs

STRIVE FOR THE BEST...

The most valuable asset for any company is the customer. Therefore customer satisfaction has to be balanced and sometimes must overshadow revenue when it comes to preventing customer turnover.  But companies are missing this fundamental perspective and competitors are rightly taking advantage. In the past few years, I have witnessed smaller companies to large Fortune 500 conglomerates forget this fact. 

So what is causing some companies to be arrogant with how they deal with their customers?

Higher Revenue.  The profit margin is the biggest culprit.  The more revenue realized, the less loyalty can mean to the company.  Normally poor decisions are being made because the true reasons for the higher revenue have not been revealed (e.g. lower quality products and services, cheaper employees, high volume low paying transactions, or overpriced charges for a few customers who don't bother to research for lower prices). The increase in revenue may have nothing to do with more satisfied customers.

High Demand.  This can oftentimes cause salespeople to be more condescending and unscrupulous by browbeating or daring a customer to take their business elsewhere. If what is being offered is in high demand and the timing is not optimal to switch to the competitor, the prices rise and the service lowers. It appears the higher the demand, the less respect and loyalty the customer should expect.

Customers can make or break a company.  It is evident in the online reviews on Yelp, Facebook, BBB, Yellow Pages, Google, and the like.  It is better to satisfy a paying customer than to lose recurring business or potential new business.  Customers do matter and are absolutely worth the loyalty and the respect.

For more business tips, be sure to purchase the book, Get A Clue - 10 Steps to an Executive IQ or check the wealth of videos on the YouTube channel.

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Posted in: bad business,business planning,business referral,customer experience,customer service,Get A Clue,revenue,Temeko Richardson

Power Down the Lights on Poor Customer Experience

TURN DOWN THE ATTENTION...

Whether a business owner or employee for a huge enterprise, it is quite humiliating when customers complain about the product or service offered.   Even if the complaints are warranted, it is even worse when customer service is so scripted that the customer cannot get the problem resolved.  This sparks frustration that can morph into bigger problems for the business – bad press through word-of-mouth and social media.

So how do you power down the big noise?

• Acknowledge the customer’s issue as a serious issue.  If it is ignored or downplayed, the frustration levels grow higher and the negative backlash will increase.  Set up a time for a chat session or discussion with a seasoned customer service individual with common sense.  Reaching out to the customer shows concern and willingness to resolve the issue.
• Have a senior customer service representative or manager respond.  Dumb questions from the junior person or overseas operator will only exacerbate the problem.   Senior personnel should know how to do the best research and also have the ability to override charges, provide discounts, or escalate where necessary for the quickest possible solution.
• Send a thank you letter/email/tweet from the business.  Appreciation speaks volumes to any customer, especially the one who has not had a good experience.  If a discount is available, offer it without being asked for it. 

Everyone learns from the misfortunes of poor quality in product and customer service.  However the difference in keeping the customer and having to put out bad publicity fires relies on the ability to quiet the complaints before they spiral out of control.  When in doubt, always remember – “A good paying customer of one company can easily move on to be a higher revenue customer of the competition.”

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Posted in: customer experience,customer service,Get A Clue,new business,quality service,Small Business Administration,small business expert,social media,Social Media and Business,Temeko Richardson