How Custom Do You Treat Your Customer?

As a customer, nothing irks me more than the feeling of being used: that a business just sees me as a source of revenue.

Want to tick me off? Keep me nameless, faceless, and generic.

I'll admit it:  I want to feel special.  Unique.

And the irony is I'm not the only one.  The want to feel special is driven by the universal human need for significance.  That who I am and what I do matter.

When it comes to poor customer service, we, the discontented, don't have to put up with it any longer.  In this equal access to information and social media, customers like me have too many options to stick around and put up with being treated poorly.  If we don't like you, we'll tell a friend or two....thousand.

The challenge for business leaders is to figure out what to do to turn your customers into advocates, and then raving fans.

It starts with giving them a incredible experience of your product or service:  one that they can't get anywhere else.

But that's not enough.  Then, you have to stay connected to your fans, and create real relationships with them.  You have to communicate with them in a way that makes them feel special and better from each touch point they have with you.

Possibly no one has mastered the art of making their fans feel special better than Lucasfilm:  the guardians of the Star Wars franchise.

A recent New York Times article featured Lucasfilm's expertise in responding to their customer's needs.  In addition to hosting a "Star Wars Celebration" every other year that draws close to 50,000 fans, Lucasfilm has a full time staff that answers fan mail.  And not just with a generic follow up letter.  Here's a terrific example:

Colin, the writer of the letter, is a 7 year old boy.  He was disturbed to learn that Jedi can't get married.  Lucasfilm's reply:

A personal, thoughtful letter, phrased as written to a young Jedi in training.    Perfect.

What suggestions do you have to help someone be more "custom" to their customers?  
Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.   

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FIVE USEFUL TOOLS

Last month I assured you that a complaining customer is actually a gift, in part because you cannot correct a problem until you know that one exists.

There is another reason for you to welcome the complaining customer: The fact that your customer chooses to engage with you is evidence of their loyalty to your company. Whether or not you are able to solve the customer’s initial complaint, your conversation with them is your opportunity to strengthen the bond they share with you.

When you or your staff lack the training to manage a customer complaint, you might shy away from it, or mishandle it, either of which results in a less than positive outcome. So here are five useful tools for you. 

1. Greet the complainer in a warm and professional manner, putting aside any bias about the validity of the complaint.

Until your staff learn proper techniques, they are at risk of reverting to childhood default mechanisms, which involve self-defense, or denying responsibility, or turning blame back on the customer.  That’s when they are most at risk of uttering pathetic responses like, “That wasn’t’ my fault,” or, “It’s always been done that way,“ or, “Nobody else has had a problem with it.” These are not relationship building mindsets. The best way to nurture the relationship~~and your bottom line, for that matter~~is by responding to the concerns with respect and an open mind.

2. Practice active listening techniques.

3. Explain your next action step and time line.

4. Thank the customer for bringing this to your attention!
 

Whether you agree with them or not, they have let you know that they care enough about your company to go to the trouble of contacting you. Nurture that!

5. Follow through.
 

The follow through is as important as the expression of gratitude. If you fail to keep your word, you have effectively sabotaged your entire effort.

We have been discussing a complaint made by a fairly dispassionate customer, as opposed to an irate customer.  That scenario will be discussed in a future post.

In the meantime~~~Happy weekend to all!

Jeannie Newman is the founder and president of JZN Associates. She has a wealth of experience in staff training and customer retention across several industries,
in both the for profit and non-profit arenas. Find her at JZNAssociates.com.