Apr 10 2008
Do Your Customers Understand What You Have Said Or What You Mean?
The customer experience needs to be exceptional within every interaction specific to your customer’s expectations. Not meeting those expectations is a recipe for disaster.
Case in point. Today, I went out at my usual 4:30am CDT to retrieve my daily newspaper so that I could begin my regular weekday routine. Unfortunately, there was no paper. Given that my delivery service is highly consistent, my thought was that there might have been a press problem and it will come later.
Four hours later, the paper had not arrived. I called the home delivery service telephone number and received, you guessed it, an automatic telephone response system because all customer service representatives were busy now. Does this sound familiar?
Possibly, if you are like myself, just hearing an automated response system sends shivers up your spine and starts the automatic conditioning reaction which is not positive.
This first Point of Connection - What I Hear - having to deal with an automated system because the company is trying to save money is already a negative one customer service experience. Strike One!
I decide to go through all the gyrations press one for home delivery, press one if you did not receive your paper today, etc. until I hear this last. “Please enter the 3 numbers of your zip code followed by your 7 digit phone number.”
Now I am perplexed. Do they mean:
- The first 3 numbers of my 5 digit zip code?
- The last 3 numbers of my 5 digit zip code?
- The first 3 number of my supplemental 4 digit zip code?
- The first 3 number of my supplemental 4 digit zip code?
(NOTE: And we will not even explore the 7 digit phone number issue because my phone number as 10 digits given that area codes must be used due to the explosion of telephone numbers.)
But what they said was “enter the 3 numbers of your zip code.” Strike Two
George Bernard Shaw said “The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” The individuals who crafted this automated message surely thought I knew as a customer what they meant.
Next I call the main toll free 800 number and again automated systems kicks in. Strike Three because the initial Point of Connection was not satisfied to my expectation.
This time I have the option to wait for a busy customer service representative. When this individual did respond, she was very pleasant and spoke English that I understood. And why should I even have that thought as a customer? Should not everyone speak English in such a way that we, as customers, understand what is being said?
After explaining the situation, she said a paper would be delivered. I then asked her about the zip code and the 3 numbers requested within the automated message. She quickly replied the last 3. Then I asked her this question: The last 3 of the 5- digit number or the last 3 of the 4-digit number?” Her response was the “last 3 of the 5-digit number,” but she added, “I never thought it could be interpreted as the last 3 of the 4-digit number.”
Attempting to be proactive, I suggested that the powers to be may want to be a little more specific in this message because the existing message potentially does not leave the subscriber with a positive customer experience.
Bottom line is that what your customers hear is critical to building loyal customers. And more importantly, you as the business owner to C-Level executive must understand what they hear from their perspective and not what you mean from yours.
What other areas of customer service do you need to think about? This free audit looks to how you can build customer loyalty.
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Leanne Hoagland-Smith, chief customer officer with offices in Chicago & Indianapolis, helps organizations through business coaching training services to return to the purpose of business that being building ravings fans while increasing productivity and profitability. Her clients double results in 30 to 90 days. Call 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching consultation.
Tags: business coach, business coaching training, customer experience, customer loyalty, Customer service
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