You know what annoys me? Text book customer service. It comes across as fake, as if the person serving has been told to go through the motions or is being “nice” just to make me come back and buy more. Now that’s an abrupt way to start a blog post! Each month, however, I choose a topic that’s close to heart, and lately well-intended customer service, the kind experts propound, is not just leaving me cold, it’s stopping me purchasing from some businesses. It’s not that good customer service has no merit; it’s just that the all too common practise of reducing human interactions to a policy, a set of instructions to be followed for the sake of sales performance doesn’t work for me. I’m not denying that I’m in small business to earn money, especially repeat purchases… I just don’t think a one-size-fits-all formula works. It takes the soul out of what it means to be alive!
Apart from this, the notion of an a-b-c guide to creating customer satisfaction has two inherent flaws.
First, very few of the experts who advocate it have hands-on experience at the coal face. When did they last have a stream of frazzled callers in a telephone queue for a help desk? How often have they stood behind a cash register, legs aching, on a Friday night when their friends are out having fun? Without this experience, their advice is simply… well, a theory. Second, people are savvy. We see through rote customer service, which is usually half-hearted, like singing out your times tables in primary school. It insults me because I am a unique person and I want to be treated as such. In a society like ours, where people are so often insecure or lonely, we crave interactions that make us feel special. How do you feel when the person serving you says “Hello,” but is already looking through you to the next customer or recites, “Have a nice day” with the same enthusiasm they’d apply to pulling chewing gum off a bus seat? On bad days, I want to scream. On good ones, I think of the larger-than-life characters from the classic TV show Are You Being Served?, who do everything by the book, but leave every single customer completely unsatisfied!
So what’s the solution… how do you provide customer service that is fresh and relevant?
- Start seeing customers as individuals instead of in terms of a service policy. Just like you, they have dreams and loved ones, heartaches and problems, but each person is unique, which means they may need a slightly different approach.
- Be real. Never fake a smile or compliment, and make your conversations genuine. If you’re having a bad day, admit it because customers appreciate honesty and may surprise you by offering a listening ear, good advice or a much-needed laugh.
- Be friendly and helpful because you can, not just in the name of customer service. Relating to people is a skill that can be learned, one that becomes far easier when you give them a little slack, and realise that personalities come in all shapes and sizes. Start by trying to understand people, especially that previous hurt influence current behaviour, and practising both sympathy and empathy. If you have staff, motivate and inspire them to do the same, and encourage them to personally enjoy each interaction.
- Difficult people still deserve kindness — as the saying goes, “two wrongs don’t make a right”, so I choose to take the moral high ground. Besides, being rude or mean is usually a sure sign that a person has a miserable life and, thus, needs my support.
- Make someone’s day by acknowledging they’re special. This could be remembering a small detail or taste, throwing in a dash of light humour, adding an unexpected ribbon on packaging or throwing in a discount or freebie. The best extras are spontaneous and random, given simply because you can.
What I’m really suggesting is that we make our interactions as enjoyable as possible. At the end of the day, I believe our human relationships are the only things that truly make us happy, so I want to make the most of each one. It’s important to remember that every encounter is an “exchange”… you are both “giving” a service and “receiving” a response. This is what creates community, which, ultimately, is what makes running your own business enjoyable and rewarding.
