Each year countless companies hold their annual management meetings where the subject of improving customer service always comes up.
Represented by slogans like "We Care About You!" and "The Customer is Priority One," these little gems become the resolution to improve the deteriorating levels of customer service. But just like a New Year's resolution, the follow-through loses momentum and dies an agonizing death — until it comes back next year.
Why? Because there is a lack of understanding and passion. If you don't believe me, ask the former management of countless defunct dealers who wish they had one more chance.
Seven out of 10 customers who switch to a competitor do so because of service rather than price. A recent study asked customers to rate their retail shopping experiences. The results: poor, 58%; fair, 24%; good, 15%; excellent 3%.
Does your company have a customer service problem? Most likely it does, and if you can't see it or hear it, then you are already headed for the same demise as so many former, and once formidable, electronics chains. Is it avoidable? Yes, but you need to act quickly, allowing your passion to drive you.
The last thing our company wants is a satisfied customer. What does satisfied mean to you? When you answer surveys and say things were satisfactory, did you mean to say they were great or just OK? The latter, of course.
So, do you really want a "satisfied" customer, or do you want one who is thrilled, exhilarated, delighted, beholden or euphoric? Exactly! And what are you doing to make shopping with you an experience?
Remember that both the first and last encounters with your store make an enduring impression. What have you done to improve the customer's experience during the delivery or service phase? If you are making a delivery, how will it be better than your competition?
The bottom line is this: if you're aiming for customer satisfaction, you're aiming too low. Satisfied customers will leave you for a better price. Delighted customers become advocates for your brand. They tell their friends, they come back again and again, and they forgive the occasional mistake.
Stop settling for "satisfactory" and start creating experiences that make people say "Wow."