3 Common Problems With Your Best Customers
It is often easy to find people complaining about their customer service experience. Do you understand how customer expectations determine the results of any touch point? Do you understand this about your best customers?
Let’s start with two simple definitions:
Customer expectations. What your customer expects, not what you tell them it should be, not what you think it is, and certainly not what is in the fine print of an agreement or contract if it disagrees with what they believe it to be.
Touch point. In this case a touch point is any time a customer interacts with you or a representative of your organization. It might be a person, a website, a telephone, or an email and many other scenarios. Any time your organization has contact with the customer.
So many people and businesses believe that they completely understand customer service. Perhaps they do, but do they practice it?
Problem Areas
Let’s consider a few common problems:
- Time. You make an appointment. Either you must in order to do business or you do it because your own schedule is tight. It is not okay for either party to break their promise on the time commitment.
- Needs. What you want to sell and what your customer needs might actually be two different things. Likewise, what your customer believes that they need and what they actually need may be two different things. Understand needs.
- Ego. Ego is the killer of more deals and more business than any other is. Both parties, vendor and customer, may have a problem with this. Who wins? The customer must win, if they don’t the vendor loses despite what they might think or feel in the moment. If necessary lose your attitude or ego, or else lose your customer.
Your Best Customers
Some customers seem to have high demands, they also may value your business because you meet or exceed their expectations. Don’t misjudge this relationship. A customer who feels insulted by your lack of concern for their high demands may very well be a customer lost.
Every touch point with your customer you have a chance to make a difference, or not.
How do you treat your best customers?
– DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
