So, how do we treat a first-class customer who has suddenly given an impression of a defaulting one? Well, we may take a hard and fast position and adamantly ensure our rights are not infringed whatsoever. Aren’t we in the right, at the end of the day?! However, this stance leaves us with slim chances to be popular with our clients who until recently thought you relationships were soaring. It is likely people will start trickling out of a company unable to back its customer appreciation claims with action.
I remember buying trousers in a newly opened shopping mall. Nice though they were, the left leg of the corduroy jeans started to get unravelled. In a matter of weeks afterthe unfortunate purchase I was back at the shop, politely explaining the situation to the shop assistant. It was obvious she remembered me. It was evident we realised the complaint was genuine. She had but one final resort: “Do you have the receipt?” The question lingered in the air. We were looking into each other eyes. “No. Unfortunately, I didn’t anticipate anything of this kind would happen, so I disposed of”. “Then we cannot help you”, concluded she, her eyes on the floor.
Technically, they had an excuse not to meet me halfway. On the other hand, they have their copies of the receipts, and if there had been a will, they would have found a way to help their customer out. That is in the past “their”. I haven’t done the shopping there since.
I remember a case when an English student confused the time and missed a class although her teacher was there. According to the letter of our agreements she had to pay for the missed class as if she had attended it. The administrator of the company was fully armed for the punitive course of action. “Fine her now, and this payment is likely to be the last. Let her go unpunished, and it is plausible to imagine she will stay with us as long as she will be able to. After all, haven’t we heard that those who areforgiven much tend to love more?” We lost the battle. We won the customer.
And it’s not that the customer is always right. Frequently, it’s a reverse ratio. Still, they have to benefit in as many situations as it is possible. At the very least it has tobe the case in the very first conflict of interests.
Could you actually compute the instances you lost to your customers? Treasure them, as those were your real victories. Until and unless we are prepared to sacrifice our particular interests for the benefit of our clientele, we cannot realistically expect to be champions of customer service.
