Stop Telling Customers How Great You Are And Start Showing Them!
July 7, 2008
If you’re in the business of satisfying customers, the only thing that matters is what you DO!
It’s almost a cliche to see and hear organizations advertise to prospective customers about how great their service is. As if somehow, great customer service were just that…bragging about how much you care. You see it all the time, no matter if you’re at the car dealer, the bank or the grocery store.
We’ve all heard the sage advice that “It’s what you do, not what you say.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “Deed, not creed.” “Talk is cheap.”
If you’re in the business of providing positive customer experiences for your firm’s clients, this concept is critical to understand. So why do so many businesses continue to make the same mistake?
What these businesses don’t realize is that today’s consumers are pretty sophisticated operators and they see through such marketing noise for what it is.
In fact, if your business is bragging to customers about how great your service is, but your staff doesn’t deliver to those promised expectation levels, one could argue that such puffery actually does more harm to your brand than never having promised anything at all!
I can think of plenty of times I’ve been frustrated at a service experience only to notice some cheesy service promise on their literature or receipt about (insert high pitched, whiny voice) “how valued I am.” It’s the definition of irony. I assume some clever ad agency or marketing genius wrote the copy without giving any thought at all about how an unhappy customer would actually be insulted by it down the road.
The things which matter most in the customer satisfaction business are the specific actions and techniques your organization employs to demonstrate your commitment to your customer. Think about your situation for a moment. How well do your daily actions demonstrate your commitment to your customer’s happiness? Do you spend more time telling customers how much you care? Or actually working to solve their problems?
For an excellent real-world example of this phenomenon, examine Nordstrom. The Seattle-based retailer is on many people’s short list of impressive service providers. Yet, when was the last time you saw or heard an ad from Nordstrom gloating about how high their level of care is? They don’t need to because they let their actions do all the talking.
Nordstrom has figured out one of the bedrock principles of winning the customer satisfaction game: Invest very little in bragging about how good you are and put lots of resources into demonstrating how much you care. Because demonstrating how much you care is the only thing that matters to your customers.
Sure, Nordstrom likely spends more than the industry average by taking back merchandise that wasn’t bought from them or sending handwritten thank you cards or tracking down far-flung merchandise requests that other retailers might only laugh about. But in the long haul, they’ve obviously found it very worthwhile. There are tremendous economic payoffs with these acts. People are astounded by the service and they like to tell other people.
Customers doing your bragging for you? Now we’re on to something meaningful!
As you interact with customers, give some thought to how your organization can be the subject of a positive service story in the future.
Click here to take a 10 point organizational self assessment of your company’s current service level.
About the Author:
When Oprah, The Today Show, FOX News and CNN need an expert on customer service and communication skills, they called on Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor. We did too!
Nancy is no ordinary speaker. She'll leave you with practical and actionable techniques for bolstering your bottom line. She shares skills and techniques that are proven time and time again to help businesses keep and gain customers.
Her style is dynamic and laugh-out-loud funny. Her feedback ratings from attendees are off the charts.
Nancy is the founder and president of Telephone Doctor, a St. Louis based international customer service and communication skills training company.
She has authored six best selling books, was recently selected as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Business Women in St. Louis and is the spokesperson in the Telephone Doctor DVD library series.
Website Info: http://www.telephonedoctor.com/
Nancy, I’ve been listening to you since I was a Call Center Manager preaching Customer Loyalty to my bosses and my staff. As usual, you’re on the money. Customer s don’t care how much you trumpet about being the best, the cheapest, the most caring, etc. They want to SEE if you practice what you preach. Actions speak much louder than words. Oh, and one of the best retorts I’ve ever heard from a customer when confronted with a CSR’s claim of “our customer service is world class”?
“Really? I’LL be the judge of that, if you don’t mind! “