<p>I like to write and talk about things TO do, instead of things NOT to do.&nbsp; Talking about what not to do is similar to telling someone not to think of a pink elephant.&nbsp; What immediately comes to mind of course is a pink elephant.&nbsp; Cliche perhaps, but true.&nbsp; We tend to do that upon which we focus, regardless of whether it's what to do or what not to do.&nbsp; Having said that, I'm going to break my own rule with this list.&nbsp; These are five fatal flaws of customer service.</p> <p><strong>Complaining</strong></p> <p>No one likes to hear someone else complaining.&nbsp; People are simply not interested in hearing about your aches and pains, your spouse's shortcomings, the bad weather, your car's mechanical problems, your fights with city hall, or anything else.&nbsp; I recently visited a small coffee shop that had just opened near my home.&nbsp; I'd heard good things about it, it looked great from the street, and when I walked in the door, I was greeted by very pleasant decor.&nbsp; I was excited to be there and looking forward to coming back.&nbsp; Then it happened.&nbsp; The owner started complaining to the other customer and me about his fights with city hall.&nbsp; He didn't just tell us about the problem he was having, but he went on and on and on.&nbsp; He spent so much time complaining that it took him ten minutes to prepare my drink.&nbsp; The negativity was draining.&nbsp; By the time I left, I'd changed from "Excited to be here" to "Can't wait to get out of here".&nbsp; The next day, I stopped in at our neighborhood Starbucks and was greeted cheerfully by the baristas who had my drink ready within about three minutes.&nbsp; It was a 180 degree change from the previous day's experience.&nbsp; If a giant like Starbucks can master great customer service, there's no excuse for a small business not to do the same.&nbsp; Our jobs, as business people, are to create a great experience for our customers in every way possible.&nbsp; Certainly it includes the products and services we offer, but it also includes the way we make our customers feel.&nbsp; Consumer decisions are emotional in nature.&nbsp; The better we make people feel, the more likely they are to do business with us.&nbsp; No whining!</p> <p><strong>Ignoring</strong></p> <p>In another recent experience, I dropped my lawn mower blade off to be sharpened.&nbsp; I spoke briefly with the owner who assured me the blade would be ready by a certain time on a certain day.&nbsp; He and I chatted briefly about a subject of common interest and I left, looking forward to picking up my blade on the promised day and time.&nbsp; I was also looking forward to chatting with him more about our common interest.&nbsp; I went back to his shop on the agreed upon day and time to pick up the blade.&nbsp; He was talking with another customer.&nbsp; I waited fifteen minutes, but he never even acknowledged my presence.&nbsp; He didn't greet me, he didn't say, "I'll be with you in a minute."&nbsp; He did nothing to acknowledge the fact that I was in his shop.&nbsp; Eventually I noticed my blade, still unsharpened.&nbsp; I retrieved it and left, never to return.&nbsp; We all get busy, we all have customers that required more time than others, but we must always acknowledge our customers.&nbsp; A simple "Hi.&nbsp; I'll be with you in a minute." would have made all the difference in the world.</p> <p><strong>Deceiving</strong></p> <p>This seems obvious, but it bears mention.&nbsp; We must always be completely honest with our customers about matters related to our business relationship with them.&nbsp; If there's a problem with an order, if something goes wrong during a delivery of service, we must be candid about what happened and we must do so in a timely manner.&nbsp; In spite of our best efforts, mistakes happen.&nbsp; When we handle our mistakes with integrity, we have an opportunity to earn customers for life.&nbsp; It's not, however, just a matter of dealing with mistakes and problems.&nbsp; I once had a customer ask my firm to do something for which we weren't qualified.&nbsp; When I declined the job, I was shocked to discover the customer was angry with me.&nbsp; I would much rather have declined the job and maintained my integrity than accepted a job for which we weren't qualified and dealt with repercussions afterward.&nbsp; This may seem especially difficult in today's world when we want to accept every piece of business that comes our way, but it's even more important now.&nbsp; Maintaining our integrity today is what will position us for tremendous success when business picks back up.</p> <p><strong>Not Following Through</strong></p> <p>This also seems simple, but bears mention.&nbsp; Do what you say you'll do.&nbsp; If you need to do some research to provide an answer for a customer, make sure you actually get back to your customer.&nbsp; It's okay to say you weren't able to find an answer.&nbsp; It's not okay to not get back to them with something.&nbsp; In my customer service seminars, we talk about under-promising so we can over-deliver.&nbsp; If you think something is going to take two hours, promise it in four.&nbsp; Customers rarely complain when something is ready ahead of time.&nbsp; When something isn't ready on schedule, however, it can have a negative effect on their business or life.&nbsp; Of course, things happen sometimes to cause delays.&nbsp; Make sure, when that happens, that you contact your customer with an update before they contact you asking what happened.</p> <p><strong>Not Communicating</strong></p> <p>In the absence of communication, our customers&rsquo; minds fill-in-the-blanks.&nbsp; Answer every email, return every phone call, even if it&rsquo;s an auto-responder or a staff member who returns the call.&nbsp; Several things are possible when our customers don&rsquo;t hear back from us (none of them are good):</p> <ul> <li>They get angry at us</li> <li>They think there&rsquo;s a problem with the business relationship</li> <li>They think there&rsquo;s a problem with our company</li> <li>They think we&rsquo;re sick (this only applies to our compassionate customers)</li> <li>They start looking for a replacement</li> </ul> <p>Always respond to your customer in some way.&nbsp; When you don&rsquo;t respond, in effect you&rsquo;re suggesting to your customers that they should sample your competitors.</p> <p>Communication is not limited to just answering emails and returning phone calls.&nbsp; Communication can be information you provide in printed materials or on your website.&nbsp; The more information you provide, the more comfortable your customers are with your company and the easier it is for them to do business with you.&nbsp; This concept even applies to restaurant menus:&nbsp; I love fried chicken (it's necessary occasionally to feed one's soul), but great fried chicken takes longer to prepare than many other foods.&nbsp; I appreciate restaurants that say, on their menu, "Please allow 30 minutes for preparation."&nbsp; Armed with knowledge, I can make a decision about whether I have enough time for fried chicken or whether to just order a salad.&nbsp; Restaurants that do that have done a good job of communicating with me.</p> <p>Review your own customer relationship practices and those of your employees to ensure that these five fatal flaws are not part of your customer&rsquo;s experiences.</p> 2009-06-30T16:15:25Z 2009-07-01T22:50:10Z -5.7347 770 5268 true 5 28175 five-quick-and-easy-ways-to-drive-your-customers-away 14 2009-07-01T15:49:47Z 2009-07-01T22:50:10Z

Customer service is about creating a great experience for your customer. Author/speaker Don R. Crawley points out that just as important as what TO do in customer service are these five fatal flaws NOT to do.

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