Gibsonia Gazette

The Value Of Making Your Customer Feel Important November 15, 2009

The Value of Making Your Customer Feel Important

A few weeks ago, I was in a retail store buying a few items.  When I approached the cashier, she was in a conversation with another employee and, from what I could tell, it was about a mutual friend.  The cashier continued the conversation as she rang up my purchases and never “connected “ with me at all.  Connecting to me would mean just looking at me to acknowledge I was there.  She did, however, give me a cursory “thank-you” as we completed the transaction.  So she knew I was there, but she did not make me feel that my business was appreciated.

I felt as though I was interrupting her, and that my transaction was an inconvenience.  I did not have a good feeling as I left the store and, as a result, I don’t feel compelled to return.  I find it hard to understand how, especially in this economy, managers and employees don’t seem to “get it”; that without customers, you are out of business.  So, who is the most important person you deal with in business?

Do you really know who your customer is?  Is it the person doing the purchasing, or the person using the product or service.  If you don’t know, figure it out.  This recession is teaching us that our business should be about creating happy customers.

Many businesses have taken necessary steps to insure that they will survive during these uncertain times:  layoffs, salary reductions, reducing inventories, more efficiencies, etc.  However, I have seen and heard very little about  addressing how to improve customer service, the one area that should be considered sacrosanct. Your customer’s perception of your company will be positively influenced by excellent customer service.

So consider whether customer service is a top priority in your business.    Has your organization learned to make the customer its number 1 priority?   How else will you differentiate yourself from the competition in what is becoming more and more a commoditized business environment?  Survival means it can’t be only about price.  Success means that your business relationships remain steadfast – or even flourish – in a rough and tumble economy.  So make your customer feel appreciated.

What are the long-term implications for your business, if there will always be someone willing to sell at a lower price?   In dealing with your customers, you have to take price out of the equation to whatever extent possible.  The way to do that is to overwhelm them with top-notch service.  Always try to deliver more than you promise.  And let them know that their business is important to your business.

I recently experienced good customer service, when I was driving to an appointment and needed a bottle of water.  I stopped at a national drugstore chain location.  I got my water and took it to the cashier.  The young gentleman behind the counter looked directly at me, smiled, and gave me a big “Hi how are you today”.   After waiting for my response, he asked, “Do you like M & Ms?”  And when I responded “yes”, he told me that they had a special on snack packs of M & Ms, buy two, get a third one free.  As I looked at the counter display he said, “And if you buy the M & Ms, I’ll give you a free water bottle”.  His sincerity and demeanor were such that I bought the package.  Instead of spending $1.39 for water, I spent $3.39, 144% more, all because the clerk had the right attitude and the right skill set.  Remember, he didn’t try to sell me with a special on M & Ms, he asked if I liked M & Ms. He acted as though whether I liked M&M’s mattered.  And that’s an example of making the customer feel important.

Teach your employees to recognize the value of every customer.  Talk to them about customer service, reinforce it at every meeting, give awards for great customer service, and set the example by your own internal as well as external dealings.

By no means should you scrimp when it comes to customer service. Do whatever is necessary to make your employees understand what each and every customer means to the survival of the organization.  It’s their livelihood as well as yours.

A book by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, “Raving Fans”, deals with this issue, and it’s worth taking the time to read if you want further insight into this topic.

Finally, ask for customer service input from both your employees and your customers.  Plan to teach your employees how to make your customers feel important.  Teach them to learn the customer’s names.  Train them to project recognition with their voice and to find out about their families if appropriate.  Teach them to smile when they speak, whether in person or on the phone, even if they don’t feel like it.  Make every customer contact with your company a productive one.  Teach your employees how to recognize the opportunity to “go the extra mile”.  Have them practice their listening skills.  Teach them that initiative is appreciated (“sounds like you need______; let me find someone to help you with that.”)

Turn your customers into “Raving Fans”.