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Volume 1, Issue 4 April 2002 CUSTOMER SERVICE: Back in the late 60s and early 70s I worked as a manager at Sears. They had and still do have a company policy of “Satisfaction Guaranteed”. That’s where I learned my basic concepts of customer satisfaction. There were no arguments and the customer did not have to jump through any hoops to get satisfaction. The answer was simple, “just fix it”. As I developed my customer service strategy, I watched what others did and how I was treated whenever I had a problem with a good or service. It surprised me how many people did not understand the basic principles of customer service. It goes from one extreme to the other. In certain instances I had to beg for satisfaction. I ended up writing to the head of the company. In other instances they gave me back more than I expected or even wanted. During my research into The Cooperative Action Model© and relating it to customer service, I observed that most people just want to get what is fair. They really don’t want to bother anyone. They just want what’s right. Yet, there are some that will take advantage of the situation and go for the jugular. That’s right, you guessed it, our old friend the 2%er (the person with anal-cranial inversion). No matter what you do for these people, they will want more. Here is the simple solution that won’t give away the farm to the 2%er and will recognize and satisfy the needs of all the sane people out there without giving them more than they really want. From now on whenever someone has an issue with you (it can be used in personal relations as well as customer relations), your service or your products, first listen to what they have to say. I will repeat this and I want you to really understand step one…LISTEN to what they have to say and UNDERSTAND what the problem really is. Once you have heard them out, formulate the solution in your mind and then ask this question: “What will it take to make you happy?” I know that I have just frightened the living ‘blank’ out of some of you. You are saying, “Ted, they are going to ask for the moon.” “I couldn’t afford to give my customer anything they wanted, I’d go out of business.” “Can you imagine me asking my teenager that question?” “DING!” Thanks for playing, but those responses are not necessarily correct. The reality is that most people will actually ask for less than what you may have been willing to give them in the first place. As I said before, most people just want what’s fair and don’t really want to be a bother. It takes a lot of courage to confront someone in the first place. Having said that, here is something that you will rarely hear from a customer service trainer, and that is, “the customer is NOT always right”. The reality is that there are 2%ers out there who are out to take advantage of the rest of us. Therefore, how dare we ask them what it will take to make them happy and then watch them rob us blind? First, we must not assume that everyone we deal with is a 2%er. When we treat everyone like they are a 2%er, we become 2%ers ourselves. Second, no matter what you do, you will never be able to satisfy the 2%er. So, let’s look at a situation and see how we satisfy our good customer and how we deal with the 2%er. A customer clearly, loudly and forcefully states his or her concern. After listening and understanding what the problem is, you answer: “I am really sorry you feel that way. We do our best to make sure our customers are satisfied. What will it take to make you happy?” There will be two types of responses to this question, the reasonable and the not so reasonable. Reasonable Response… “I just wanted you to know so it does not happen to anyone else.” Or… “I just want a product that works. Will you replace it?” These are reasonable responses and after you do what is right, you may even decide to throw in something a little extra. Unreasonable Response… “I want it free!” Or… “I want your job.” Or… “I want shares in your company.” Or… “I want a lifetime subscription.” You now know you are dealing with a 2%er and no matter what you do, you will not make them happy. Remember you are still in control even though you asked them what would make them happy. Your answer to the 2%er… “I am sorry, I am not prepared to do that, but here is what I can do…” The 2%er will rant and rave, but hold your ground. Remember that no matter what you do for them, you will not be able to satisfy them. You must keep in mind that what you offer should be reasonable and something that a non2%er would feel is fair. Do not turn a good customer into a 2%er by being stupid with what you offer. Try this approach and let me know how you make out. It does work! So… What will it take to make YOU happy? Until next time, I wish you best in life… Ted. Humphry says… “Leave people with a good feeling.”
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