I continue to be disappointed in what I see as a significant and continuing degradation of customer service, across all industries. There was a time when businesses, both commercial and retail, regularly competed on the basis of customer service. Today, it’s a rarity.
If you’re old enough, recall driving into a gas station in the 1960’s (they were called “service stations” then). A bell would ring inside the station when a car arrived. Well-dressed attendants (many wore uniforms, brimmed service hats and bowties!) rushed to the car when it pulled up to the pump. In some cases, there was a large, running stopwatch in the window to measure how quickly the attendants arrived at the car. Several attendants serviced the vehicle. In addition to filling the tank with gas, the windshield was cleaned, and both engine oil level and tire pressures where checked. Service was a selling point in the gas company’s advertising. The actual product, gasoline, was considered “generic” by most consumers, so something else was needed to draw customers to a specific service station brand.
Sadly, this kind of service disappeared with the advent of “self-service” gas stations. If there’s a bucket, a few ounces of dirty dishwater, and a half-torn squeegee at the pump today, it’s a minor miracle. Today, oil companies attempt to “differentiate” their brand with various gasoline additives and “virtue signaling” – showing their commitment to green energy, charities, and employee welfare. Despite this mass advertising effort, most purchases today are based on price and location since true service no longer exists.
Harvard Business School emphasizes developing relationships as the cornerstone for business success. The better you know your customer, the better you know their needs and can serve them more effectively and efficiently. Statistics are staggering in this area – Forbes research indicates that the cost to acquire a new customer is five to seven times higher than maintaining a current one. Further, the probability of attaining a new customer is 5-20%, compared to a whopping 60-70% for an existing customer!
So why do companies go to such great lengths to avoid contact with their customers? No one, anywhere, likes automated phone answering systems. At all. Yet somewhere, deep in the financial archives, is a cost savings analysis that shows that using the system saves money by lowering or eliminating the number of phone receptionists and customer service representatives. However, no one seems interested in tracking the consequences of this approach – lost business from customers so frustrated with the inability to have their voice heard that they seek any other viable alternative source, or they just give up. Statistics here differ, but they are just as eye opening. In general, people will tell 9 – 15 people about a bad experience and only 6 people regarding a good experience. With the explosion of social media, just think how impactful that can be on a business.
One of my current “favorites” is the system greeting that starts with “we are experiencing more than normal call volume….” This just means you are in for an excruciating wait, listening to music that would be better used to torment convicted terrorists. Ironically, that greeting never seems to change. Think about it. Simple logic indicates that if call volumes are higher than “normal” for an extended period, this higher level is now normal! Savvy businesses will adjust, but most just don’t care. Another common, and infuriating automated system greeting is “we are with other customers, but your call is important to us.” Yeah, sure. If I were important, you would be talking to me!
Other, simple customer service practices seem to be regularly forgotten as well. Many are so simple that it is mind boggling. Businesses often don’t return phone calls, don’t follow up, and are late with their products or services without ever bothering to inform their customers. More often than one would think, businesses schedule appointments and are either woefully late or don’t show up at all. And they don’t call!
Make a commitment to improve your customer service. Separate yourself from the pack. It’s good business.
Answer the phone. Return calls. Respond to emails. Show up on time. Call if you’re late. Be pleasant. Take pride in your work. Be enthusiastic. Follow up. Your mother probably told you to do these things when you were a teenager. Do what your mother tells you.
Make every customer feel like they are the only customer you have. Your business will prosper.
Mind Your Own Business. No One Else Will. 