I have had some great customer service experiences recently.

I have been impressed by some of the suppliers and service providers who have been pro-active, timely and efficient in the way they have delivered their service.

Sadly, I have also seen some examples of poor customer service and how to not manage a customer relationship.

One such example happened to me earlier in the year:

Our security alarm system was due for its annual check and service. So I booked a slot for this to happen and requested a first call, so as not to disrupt the working day too much. This was scheduled for 8am and envisaged it would take just 15 minutes.

I waited in for the engineer. At 9.30, I am wondering what is happening and if they have forgotten. I called the customer service centre to find out when the engineer might arrive. I had appointments of my own lined up for later that morning that I would soon need to travel to or seek to reschedule.

They told me they would need to contact the engineer and come back to me. About 45 minutes passed by and another customer service representative phoned me to deliver the bad news.

Apparently, the engineer in question had been off sick all week and would not be attending. Their work schedule had not been updated and as such they had not been in touch with customers to let them know or to rearrange. They thanked me for bringing the engineers absence to their attention!

Fortunately, I discovered this in the nick of time to avoid having to rearrange or modify my own commitments but it did not make me feel like a valued customer and caused me to consider a change of supplier.

If they had contacted me before the day to say that they needed to rearrange the appointment, whilst it may have been a little frustrating, I would have understood. It would have meant that I had clarity rather than being in the dark and would not have felt like our business was not important to them!

Here are a few of the tips that I pass onto to teams and businesses when I am asked to help them develop their relationship management skills which I hope that you find useful:-

  • Be pro-active. If things go wrong or a mistake is made, which means that you are not able to deliver what has been previously agreed be pro-active and contact the customer. Be honest about what has happened and importantly what is being done to put things right. Keep them informed and in the picture. Most fair minded people will understand and value the honesty.
  • Check that your customer is happy with the service you are providing. Regularly undertake service reviews to ensure they are happy with the service levels. Ask if there is anything you can do better or differently.
  • Hone and develop listening skills. Listen to customers more as it helps to understand their needs and possible concerns. It helps them to feel valued and important. The best influencers are great listeners.
  • Be flexible. Develop the ability to step into the shoes of the customer whilst maintaining a focus on the needs of your company. Seeing things from the customer’s perspective helps to develop understanding, mutual respect and deepens the relationship.
  • Ensure that you are providing all the service and products that you could be. Regular contact and dialogue ensures that you understand the customer’s business better and if there are other services/products you can supply to meet their requirements and grow your relationship and income levels.

This week, why not take a few moments to think about customer service. As a customer, are you getting the service levels that you would like from your regular suppliers?

Take some time to notice the service levels at shops and restaurants. Do you feel valued?

If you run a business or a team, are there any steps or actions you need to take to improve service levels and show customers that they matter?

Quote for the week:

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity” Douglas Adams.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk