So many businesses struggle with their customer service that I thought I would do a 2 part series on both the good and bad aspects of customer service. I wanted to start with the “bad examples” of “customer service” first, and then build to some really shining examples of what customer service is, and can be. The answers are a little longer than the questions, so the real goal here is just to provoke some thought. Do you see your business more in the good or bad customer service category?

I will present this in the format of some case studies. The businesses will not be named, in order to protect the guilty/innocent. I also don’t really want to focus on the money or political” aspects, but when you are talking about customer service, it is hard to completely ignore or divorce those aspects from the issues at hand. The liberal or conservative nature of the local areas, as well as the natures of the business themselves do make a considerable difference. In this series I will address the public sector, hospitality/restaurants, car dealerships and contractors, which is where I spend the bulk of my time.

These are the issues that I will address in this first part of the series.

Customer service is intentional. It doesn’t just happen.
Customer service affects your employees as well as your customers.
Are your policies over-restrictive?
Should your business take a “stance”?

Customer service is intentional. It doesn’t just happen.

Many times, it doesn’t matter whether the business is large or small. All sizes of businesses can be equally guilty. Some businesses intentionally don’t want to address customer service. They just assume that whatever happens, happens, and we will deal with it as it occurs. (I know for a fact that is the policy of some businesses). Sure, they may have policies, such as return policies, credit policies, shipping policies, defective product policies, etc. But do they have policies on how they will treat each and every customer? Will they treat customers with respect, friendliness and honest helpfulness. Do they sincerely treat them as a friend? Someone they are sincerely trying to develop a long-term relationship with, or is it with indifference, as the enemy, an adversary, or just as just another sale?

Alpha Company

Lets look at internet-based mega companies. We will call this company Alpha. Alpha is happy to take your orders. They have great prices and products. They make it easy to purchase, including cross selling every little thing that you could ever want. They ship quickly. Their return policies are fair. But what about if you have an issue that falls outside the scope of their typical business processes? Can you get ahold of a live person, or are you forced to send an e-mail and be at the mercy of somebody responding from a distant place at their convenience? Is there a grievance process if you don’t like their determination? How long does that take? Is this really customer service, or are you being herded through their “processes” like cattle? Is there any relationship there? Do they really know your name or do they call you by the name listed on your credit card/account? Does this matter to you? Perhaps it should.

When the day comes that all the little guys are forced out of business, and you have no other options, what kind of power does this give Alpha? The companies I know that still compete very well in their markets provide excellent customer service and have real relationships with their customers.

If you want to make a statement with your customers and differentiate your business from all the other fish in the sea, real customer service may just be the tool in your bag that will do it for you. Be intentional about how you treat your customers. Make that smile genuine. Don’t just address the policies. Train your people on real customer service. Not product training. Not sales training. Train them on people skills. If you are an internet-based company, make it easy for people to get in touch with a real-live human. Give that personal touch. That’s what customers remember, and they will comment on it every time! Customers know the difference between fake and sincerity.

Customer service affects your employees as well as your customers.

In order to consider genuine customer service, you must consider not only your customers, but your front line employees that are providing your customer service. The ones that have the most contact with your customers on a daily basis.

Company Bravo

One public service company I am aware of provides services to a wide segment of the public. Their fees are very affordable, yet they continually have trouble with the public refusing to pay fees. Sometimes customers just pay nothing, or whatever they feel like paying, and the employees are openly advised not to confront the customers about it. Yet, many people pay the stated prices. This puts their employees is a very difficult, and sometimes dangerous situation. In fact, nearly every year, the number of assaults on employees increases. 2017 is not over yet, and the number of assaults on employees is more than double over 2016 already. Yet this company does little in terms of finding and prosecuting these criminals. How does this make the employees feel? How does it make the law-abiding, paying customers feel? It gets worse.

Bravo has tons of policies, which it strictly enforces on its’ employees and middle supervisors. Yet, pricing policies, for example, for its’ customers, seem to be enforced very little, with little or no consequence to the offenders. Even the ones which assault employees.

Let me give this analogy. You would’t go into a restaurant, look at the menu, see the price, and then tell the waiter “I want this $15.00 menu item, but I don’t want to pay for it, so bring it out for me”, fully expecting for the restaurant to provide that item to them for free. Yet essentially that is what Bravo is doing every day, and their other customers are seeing all this happen. Is this fair to their employees? Is this fair to their other customers? I think not.

What kind of precedent are your policies setting? How do they affect your employees? How do they affect your customers? What kind of environment is that setting within your company? What kind of liability is that opening up your company for?

Are your policies over-restrictive?

What kind of hoops do you make your customers jump through, just to do business with you? Is it hard to do business with your company? Are you a problem-solver for your customers or a problem-creator? Which kind of company do you think your customers would rather do business with?

Lets use a new car buying experience as an example, and lets compare Charlie company against Delta company.

Charlie company.

Working with this car dealership means that buying a car will take you nearly a full day. First, they spend lots of time showing you every car that you don’t want, before finally showing you the one that you do want, yet at a price that is higher than you really want to pay. (Realtors do this as well. It’s not just car dealers). Then comes the dreaded negotiations, where you go back and forth for hours between your salesman and the sales manager, negotiating a price that should have been completed within an hour. You agree on a price, after going through a similar ordeal on your trade in. Then you go through the finance manager, who tries to add on all the maintenance contracts, literally juggles numbers, and comes up with a price that is ultimately higher than you agreed to. Is this a good customer service process, or is it one that favors the dealership making the most possible profit that they can make? No after sale service! Does this encourage future sales?

Delta Company

Delta car dealership wishes to make the car buying process painless for their customers. You’ve done your homework. You know what the high and low values are for your old car. You know you will be happy with a number that is somewhere in the middle. Delta asks you what you want for your trade. You tell them (starting high). They agree. Then you find your new car. The salesman asks you what car and features you are looking for, including the color. They find it for you. You drive it. You love it. You talk numbers. You agree on a fair price (because you had already done your homework). They say “Let me see if I can make it happen for you”. While they are working on the numbers, they provide you refreshments. They show you around the facilities, including the service department. They make you comfortable (not like an opponent), and 30 minutes later, you have a deal. You see the finance person and you see all the numbers that you agreed to, without upselling. While you are finalizing the deal theyare washing your car, perfectly. They fully explain all the features (helping you configure your bluetooth) and maintenance schedules, and within 3 hours total, you are out the door with a brand new car, that you love, and at a fair price that you agreed to. No hassles. Two days later, the salesman calls you back to make sure you are still happy with your new car, and answers any questions you might have and helps if you have any problems that need to be resolved. A week later the car manufacturer representative calls you to find out about your experience with the dealership.

So I ask you. Which company provided better customer service? Which one would you be more inclined to refer your friends to? Would you refer your salesman? Where were you treated better? Where will you start the process next time you are looking for a new car?

You are likely not a car dealership, but compare these two processes to your business. Which process is more applicable to your company? Charlie or Delta? Which will make customers for life? Which will generate more referrals for your business. Referrals should be the #1 lead source for your business. Do your sales processes, your employees, and your continuous customer contact programs ensure it?

If you want to look at model customer service programs, look at companies where they have a lot of competition in their market place, and have been around for many, many years. They are likely doing it right.

Should your business take a “stance”?

From social media, to our President, to public businesses, to actors, musicians and athletes, everyone seems to think that we (the public) care about their personal politics and morals. (OK, perhaps we do, and should care about their morals). But what about businesses taking a stance on the latest cause du jour? What about those athletes “taking a knee”? What about that public figure taking a stance on the (fill in the blank) social or moral issue? What about businesses taking a stance on their website, advertising, social media page or some other public venue? How do you feel about that?

From a business and marketing standpoint, my position is this. I don’t believe that a business should ever take a stance on the latest issue-du-jour, unless that issue is specifically related to the business. The business of business is to do business, not to take political or social stances. You are in business to provide specific products and/or services. Can you take care of your customers, providing your products and services, without regard to race, politics, sexual orientation, or whatever factor? Why should those factors even be an issue for most businesses? I know that may sound easier than it is in practice. I liken it to the old military practice of don’t-ask-don’t tell. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that in most cases, it just shouldn’t be an issue in business. If you object to something, simply change the subject and stick to business.

I believe when a business takes a stance on an issue, they are immediately polarizing their customers and potential customers. A customer has three choices. They can agree, disagree or remain neutral. No matter what their choice, it will affect their feelings about the business. And people do vote with their dollars. Do you, as a business, want to risk that you come down on the wrong side of even one profitable customer? Are you in business to make a statement and take a stance, or are you in business to do business?

Lets consider a Facebook page. Lets say you have a business Facebook page. Based on what I have stated, it should be clear that your business page is not the place for “issues”. But what if you have a separate personal page, in addition to your business page? The honest answer is that if it is public, it is discoverable. You run the same risk of polarizing. But if you have to be vocal, do it on your personal page and not your business page.

I am not asking you to not be real. You might say that is why some people like you and do business with you. While that may be true, it is also almost guaranteed that it is the same reason that some people you don’t even know may not be doing business with you. It’s a risk. Are you willing to risk it? It’s your call.

For me, personally, there are businesses that I simply will never do business with because of the stances that they take. Especially when it comes to musicians, actors and athletes, I couldn’t care less about their politics. I watch them because of their talent and skills, not because of their politics. I feel that employees and athletes reflect on their businesses and teams. My feelings change based on what they do, and it also reflects on the businesses and teams. Therefore, it also changes the way I feel about the businesses and teams as well.

Watch for the next part where I will discuss some businesses that are getting it right. I love to highlight excellent customer service and business processes.

Allen Beck, Owner

AKOR Services