Webster describes a customer as “one that purchases a commodity or service.” Many times, the definition of a Customer feels more like “a person or group of people that one must deal with rather than satisfying.” Unfortunately, without customers, business, the economy, and society (as we know them) would cease to exist.
Navigating an ongoing customer relationship can be like trying to navigate a mine field while blindfolded. If the customer is happy, everything goes smoothly and easily – a walk in the park on a sunny day. An unhappy customer is difficult to manage since once a customer has become dissatisfied, it is difficult to “fix things” no matter how hard you might try. Once a customer feels disappointed with a product or service (whether justified or not), their perception becomes reality, and it is hard to identify the “root cause” of a problem so it becomes nearly impossible to initiate “service recovery” efforts.
A customer service problem is no different than any other problem, even though it may seem much more daunting. When encountering customer dissatisfaction, the first action one should take would be to determine the root cause of the unhappiness. It is easy to make a knee jerk, impulsive decision based on complaints, perceptions, and very little real information BUT this kind of action can lead to miss interpretations, second-guessing, and much wasted time. A multi-level Karate Black Belt was once asked how many times he actually used all of his skills. The response was (surprisingly to all present) “never.” When asked why not, he responded that he never went anywhere where he might have to USE his skills because he looked at each situation, de-escalating them whenever possible, and avoiding them if at all feasible. Tiger Woods was once asked how much he practiced getting out of sand traps when preparing for a tournament. He replied that he focused on staying out of the traps rather than working on how to get out of them should he have a bad shot. Likewise, the best way to solve customer issues is to not have them in the first place.
The reality, however, is that it is not possible to eliminate all customer problems. No matter how hard one tries, things that could be perceived as being negative, happen. One way to keep minor issues from becoming major problems is to ask your customers how you are doing. A Customer Service Survey, done on a regular basis, can identify positives AND negatives (even though you might not want to hear about the latter). When you are able to identify issues early – prior to their becoming deeply ingrained perceptions of poor product or performance – it is possible to discuss the concerns and formulate possible improvements. 10 minutes of an important customer’s time can head off many issues, and if something unexpected does happen, the customer is more likely to work with you towards forgiveness (though you will still have much to demonstrate prior to their “forgetting”).
Many companies conduct long and overly detailed Customer Service Surveys but receive little, if any, return on the effort invested. Questions asking, “How are we performing?” “How is our on-time delivery?” or “How well are our customer service representatives performing?” when “rated” on a 1 – 10 scale provides data but not actionable information. There is no way of objectively knowing why a company ranked you the way they did, and acting on subjective interpretations is much like practicing on getting out of the sand trap rather than avoiding it in the first place. If there is no way to know what the real issues are, there is no way to know what to change (or what to leave intact) when initiating service recovery activities.
Rather than “scoring” perceptions with a numeric scale, asking open-ended questions (questions that customers are given the opportunity to write their responses) within a survey can quickly and concisely get to actionable issues that can be addressed through intentional actions. The first question should typically be to identify what you do well (“Please name three things that we do well, that are most helpful or important to you.”). When answering such a question, customers typically list the most critical thing first, allowing you to find out not only what you are doing well but also what is really most important to your customer.
A second question (the most uncomfortable but potentially the most important) should be to identify what you DO NOT do well (“Please name three things that we do not do well or cause you the most problems.”). A customer usually lists their concerns in the order of what causes the most significant problems so start at the top of the list when identifying changes that should be made.
The third question asked should be straight forward and simple. “If we could do or provide ONE thing that would help you the most, what would it be?” This open and honest question indicates a sincere interest in a person (or an entity) as a customer, helps to build a “customer first” mentality, and could potentially bring in new business or services. You might not be able to do anything about their issue, just the act of asking is most important.
When conducting a Customer Satisfaction Survey (as when administering an Employee Engagement Survey), ALWAYS respond to your customers when giving them the opportunity to express their opinions. Thank them and let them know you have heard their concerns AND appreciate their honesty. Within that response you should state the kinds of actions you are taking to eliminate (or to mitigate as much as possible) their concerns and invite them to let you know if they see a difference. Building a strong relationship and partnership with your customers lets them know you have their best interest at heart.
EFFECTIVE Customer Service Surveys (often administered most effectively through a third party to keep confidentiality intact) improve customer service by identifying areas for improvement (and allowing one to focus on what they do well) to prevent minor issues from becoming major problems while building relationships and reinforcing partnerships. It is much more difficult to be upset with and/or react negatively to a minor issue if you are working with a valued partner. The Employers’ Association can help to generate and conduct effective Customer Service Surveys to help manage customer expectations and maintain customer relationships. While some organizations conduct their own surveys, it is often better to have an outside agency conduct the survey and tabulate results for you – making recommendations as to the action steps that could help to resolve the issue and detailing recommendations that will resolve the issue. To learn how TEA can help, please contact Brian Bacon ([email protected] or 616-698-1167).