As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. ~ Audrey Hepburn
What I’ve realized, even while writing these posts, is that customer service is relative to the person or the group you’re providing service for. Finding out what your customers need and what makes them happy and then providing that in the most gracious manner possible is what great customer service is all about.
Let’s take a look at a study done in Canada. The results? Canadians are fed up with poor customer service! With all of the avenues available now for companies to receive feedback from and interact with their customers, consumers are more unhappy than they have ever been with the way they are treated, not only by the employees, but the actual management and owners of both small businesses and large corporations.
How can this be turned around?
Take the time to stop and listen, really listen. Be accessible. Never be too busy to listen to what your customers are telling you.
Know your customer demographics. Who buys from you? Where do they live? What do they do? How old are they?
Most important – like what you do. Especially in a position where you are dealing with people one to one, you need to love your job. If you don’t love it, leave it and let someone else do the job who is more suited to it. Your customers deserve it and they expect the best.
As I get older, I expect better service. While in earlier years, it may not have mattered as much to me what service was like, now I notice it everywhere I go. But then, when I look back, poor customer service was very rare. What is it that is creating a larger gap between what we pay for and what we receive?
As I mentioned at the onset of this post – customer service is relative to the person or group you are providing service for. Senior citizens deserve a special mention here.
Patience is one of the most needed attributes when dealing with some customers who are older. Whether because of poor health, declining eyesight and/or hearing or many other reasons, these citizens may take longer to deal with than other customers. There are many products and services now which are available specifically for the elderly and infirm so be sure they understand you when you speak to them and take your time.
There is no reason to treat someone rudely because they can’t hear you or aren’t as quick as they used to be. Remember, those who may look old to someone who is 20, look awfully young to someone who is 75! Once again, it is all relative.
To wrap this up – If you want to differentiate your business from other businesses, your customer service really does have to be better than the rest, without exception. Remember what it feels like to be on the receiving end and never promise what you can’t deliver.
Chris Draper
courtesy of Meiji Stewart.
www.ABCPoems.com
