WHEN my wife accidentally dropped her laptop and broke the screen, we took it to our local computer store for the screen to be replaced. Instead of sending it to the repairers, the customer service agent kept the computer for a week and lied to us, saying the computer was not ready.
When we discovered the lies, we took it to a different store.
When our daughters needed laptops, we used another store. We have never set foot at that computer store again even though it is only 4km from our house. Instead, we prefer to travel 30km to get better service.
This means all of that potential profit for the local computer store has been lost because someone forgot how important we were as customers. Whether someone forgot to send the laptop for the screen replacement, didn’t show respect, or had a bad attitude, that lack of communication skills caused us to take our business elsewhere. Almost any of us can relate that story to our own good or bad customer service. The key is to recognise that what appears to be an insignificant incident can become a business disaster.
That is why when a Cell C customer, angered by service he received at the Sandton City branch of the franchise, put up a large spoof banner, decrying that the network provider was useless.
When you buy a product or pay for a service but end up dissatisfied, often the best way to resolve the problem is to complain politely. A wise company will do what it takes to make you happy.
Here’s another situation which happens to me quite often: When I visit offices for business, it is not inconceivable that that just when I start explaining to the receptionist why I am there, the phone will ring. The receptionist will say “Hold on”, to me and then proceeds to answer the phone. When she is finally finished, then and only then – will I be allowed to state why I am there… unless, of course, the phone rings again.
I have always asked myself whether I should complain or not? One reason could be that the caller is not physically there with us and he or she is preferred than myself. If I grabbed the phone to express my displeasure to the person on the other end, the receptionist would probably look at me like I am mad.
I have often contemplated whether I should tell the receptionist that I am unhappy that she has chosen the other person on the phone instead of myself, who bothered to come in person.
But also, I might not want to risk upsetting the person who stands between us and what I wanted at that business by questioning his or her customer-service skills. Besides, that would take more time, and I have already waited through the phone call.
But why is it that someone who is sitting at home or another office so often gets priority service over the person who does business in person?
Companies that condone this tactic might excuse the behaviour by rationalising that the person calling on the phone is potential business, too, and if you don’t answer the phone, you might lose the business. This may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that being pre-empted by a phone call is rude.
The Cell C debacle reminds us that reaching the summit of customer service means having the best people throughout the organisation. This follows from realising that having happy, competent and well-motivated staff also means satisfied customers. To support this it is equally important to have excellent processes and systems that support the customer.
When business is booming, it’s easy to delude yourself into thinking that customers need you more than you need them; that you are doing them a favour by doing the work they pay you to do. It’s easy to fall into this trap when your biggest problem is finding the people and the time to do all the work you have access to.
During a customer service debacle like the one involving Cell C, reputation is real. It’s based on experience. Once I have had a bad experience with an organisation and its services, any image I may have had of it is immediately driven out. Image is this imaginary thing called reputation that we build up, and it backfires if we can’t deliver or if we are seen not to be able to deliver.
So you have to communicate a true reputation so that customers will trust enough to give you the support you need.
There are three ways to approach reputation management during a customer service dispute: be proactive to set out to build and keep the reputation of your organisation; design and stick to clear messages when your reputation is under some kind of attack; and you need to counter it or embark on reputation maintenance programme to calm customer complaints, and when you just want to keep that going.
It’s a challenging environment – not only in the service provider space, but in any line of business. The only way to ensure your business is to be fully-equipped to meet that challenge is to listen to your customers and those of your competitors, which means you have no choice but to engage them.
The customer is king – it may be an old cliché but it should be at the forefront of any business.
Rather than meaning that the customer is always right or that business should pander to their every need, for me, the phrase reflects the importance providing what the customer wants and in a manner that leaves them satisfied and not dissatisfied.
Customer service plays a crucial role in the success of any business. As well as the impact it can have on the all-important bottom line, and reputation, customer service excellence can reap far greater rewards like increasing customer loyalty and employee engagement.
Obviously the Cell C customer will never be loyal again. Cell C will eventually lose him when his contract expires. It will also lose his family, possibly his friends and who knows, his employees, if he is an employer.
Some customers are never blameless. True, customer service is one of the most important aspects of managing a business, but some customers are simply impossible to please. Indeed, let let’s face it, customers can be incredibly rude. They can be impolite for any number of understandable reasons, whether it’s because they received poor service the last time they dealt with your company, or because they are frustrated by the options you provide, or because they are simply having a bad day.
The key is not to focus on their attitude, but on how to resolve the situation.
The point is, anyone has the ability to instil in a customer good manners.
A lot of it has to do with what our parents taught us: treat others as you would like to be treated.
Understand that kind words generate better results than harsh ones. Remember, if the customer speaks harshly to you, you need to resist the urge to reciprocate.
Also remember that few companies, if any, win an argument with a customer. The best that can happen is that a company can prove itself right, and the customer will resent it because of that.
Good customer relations is a lot like making friends; it takes effort. But the rewards are well worth it.
At the end it can be summed up with this age old saying: “Never forget a customer – and never let a customer forget you.”
Rich Mkhondo runs The Media and Writers Firm (www.mediaandwritersfirm.com), a content development and reputation management agency.