Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What Is Good Customer Service, How Can It Help To Grow Your Business

Not to long ago we had an experience with a company, that made us upset with them. We wanted to cancel the service, every month they would send out a training cd. We had contacted them several times. A customer service person emailed asking if we wanted to cancel. We sent an email back that we did want to cancel. That was the end of Jan., today we get an email that they shipped the cd. We wrote them another email ( not very HAPPY) told them to cancel it again and get the money back in our account. We unsubscribed from every thing that we got from them with another ( not very HAPPY ) email. So we are not keeping this quiet, we are telling every one if you do not want people talking bad about your business then your customer service had better be in top shape. We will not say the company right now. If it does not get taken care of then we will write again and say the name of the company. You get enough bad things said about you and soon no one wants to do business with you no matter how good the products you have might be. Bad word of mouth travel a lot faster then good word of mouth.

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE AT WALMART
Good service only stays that way by evolving. Employee should always be on the lookout for new ideas and innovations that will improve the level of service. A prime example was Sam Walton's "Sundown Rule." If a customer makes a request, it has to be answered by sundown on the day it is received. Store associates were also admonished to follow the " Ten Foot Rule," which meant they were expected to make eye contact, greet and offer assistance to any customer withing 10-feet radius.

WHAT DO CUSTOMERS EXPECT?
1. To be treated with respect.
2. That the company at least acts like they care about them as a customer.
3. When they contact someone with a problem, that they can get something done about the problem.

This is something to ponder...
1. It costs five times as much to attract a new customer as it does to keep your current customer.
2. The average business never hears from 96% of its unhappy customers. (But 90% of them will not visit or buy from that business again!)
3. For every complaint received, the average is 26 customers with problems.
4. Complainers are more likely than non-complainers to do business again with the company that upset them, even if the problem wasn't satisfactorily resolved.
5. Customers who register complaint; between 54-70% will do business with you again if you resolved the complaint. 95% if the problem is resolved quickly.
6. The average customer who has had a problem will tell 1-20 people about it.
7. Customers who complain to an organization and have their complaints resolved tell an average of five people.

WHY CUSTOMERS STOP DOING BUSINESS:
* 1% die
* 3% move away
* 5% develop other friendships
* 9% leave for competitive reasons
* 14% are dissatisfied with the product
* 68% quit because of an ATTITUDE OF INDIFFERENCE toward the customer
(part of this information was given to us by our friend Curtis.)

Do you want your business in the 68% range of customers that stop doing business with you? That will not grow your business much when that 68% tell 1-20 people bad things about your business.

If you are not working hard on good customer service then, that is a lot of people that will not be doing business with you any time soon or never again.

GOOD BUSINESS IS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. If no one buys form you, then you do not have a business at all.


copyright 2009 Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
http://moonlight2458@gmail.com
http://sunny.bundleproffit.com/mindset

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Dan & Deanna .. this post is not funny!! I've just had a terrible day up at my mother's Nursing Centre .. & the customer service they provide there to me, as the daughter, is dreadful .. no consideration at all .. - so I agree with you .. no news will travel.

Quite rightly we shouldn't buy from people who do not help us in a customer service situation & constantly pester us ..

These are interesting facts you present us .. but in this day & age - so sensible .. thanks

Marketing Unscrambled, Home edition said...

Hilary, It is hard enough having to have a parent or someone that you love need to be in a care center. Then to have to deal with the bad customer service on top of it. That is even worse. When we are dealing with other in a business setting we need to think how would I feel in their place?How would you want to be treated and do that to those that you do business with, (when you have that business.)
Dan and Deanna Marketing Unscrambled

Anonymous said...

I love your "WHY CUSTOMERS STOP DOING BUSINESS" break down in % that is very interesting.

Thanks for the post, I enjoyed reading this post.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your support .. it's a difficult situation ..

as another feature is, of course, I have to put myself in my mother's position - so I seem to be in 2 camps .. neither thrilling - but I'm positive!!

Thanks again .. Hilary

Marketing Unscrambled, Home edition said...

Giovanna, I am glad that you liked the post. Good customer service can make or break a business. Thank you for commenting and visiting.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"

Marketing Unscrambled, Home edition said...

Hilary, We are happy to be a support to you. You have a difficult job and you can use all the support that you can get.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"