This is especially true in times of uncertainty and economic
struggle. The extra mile you go for giving them more than what they
expect is worth gold and is the best antidote to losing customers.
Emotions always emanate from expectations. A customer’s feeling of
delight and happiness derives from the fact that he received from you
much more than what he expected; you made him important by providing him
with a special service, by doing something that most people would not
do.
So, surprise your customers, exceed their expectations. And you will have
them for life!
Money.aol.com asked their readers to share their most memorable customer
service experiences. Here are some good and bad examples of Service Sinners
& Service Saints:
• BEST: COSTCO. A reader says: “I bought a mattress at COSTCO for about
$500. At the same time I ordered a custom made bed. I took the mattress home
that night and slept on it for about 2 months while waiting for the bed to
be delivered. I loved the mattress, but it was about 8 inches thick. When
the bed came and assembled, the whole thing was ridiculously tall. I am 5’5”
and I could not get into it, even with a step stool. I called COSTCO, and
even though my husband and I’d been sleeping on the mattress for several
months, couldn’t find the receipt, and didn’t have the packaging, COSTCO let
us haul the mattress in and gave us a full refund.”
• WORST: TIFFANY. A reader says: “My soon-to-be fiancé and I were at my
favorite jeweler, Tiffany’s. We told the salesman we were trying to find
something in the $5K range. He began to show us rings in the $15K range.
When we told him we could not spend more than $8K he told us to think about
what we really want and to COME BACK WHEN WE HAD MORE MONEY TO SPEND.”
• WORST: COMPUSA. A reader says: “I purchased a computer at Comp USA but
changed my mind so I returned to the store to return it. The manager was
giving an elderly lady a really hard time. I asked him how he could treat an
elderly person so badly. The manager told me it wasn’t any of my business. I
was not going to let him talk down to me, so I told him I was going to
report him. I then went to another store. Next thing I know, I get tapped on
my shoulder. I was confronted by 2 policemen asking if “I was the guy trying
to return a computer.” I responded “yes.” They told me I was being detained
for “burglary.” The original manager lied, and said that I walked into the
store, picked up the computer and walked out. So I spent 2 days in jail.”
Remember, doing something special for your customers can win you a unique
and long lasting reputation. So be the “BEST”, not the “WORST!”
About Patrick Valtin:
Patrick Valtin is the founder of M2-TEC USA, Inc. He has been in
the training/coaching business for over 22 years and has personally trained
over 75,000 people in 27 countries on the subjects of sales, sales
management, recruitment, marketing strategies and leadership. Patrick wrote
the e-book “CRISIS BUSTER” as a response to his observation of many business
owners’ reaction to economic crises. Patrick’s motto is: Success should NOT
depend on economic conditions! He has been named “Mr. Crisis Buster” by many
of his customers all over the world. Visit
www.crisisbuster.com
