Manage the clients, manage the business
| Of course, you don’t really manage clients. What you can, and should, manage is your relationship with them, particularly in the area of communication. Here are a few ideas.
• When I came to Canada from Scotland many years ago, I sailed on a large passenger ship of the Cunard Line. It was an old ship, many things went wrong and the voyage was not a great experience for most of the passengers. Unfortunately, Cunard’s slogan at that time was, “Getting there is half the fun!” I can’t tell you how many sarcastic witticisms that irony spawned during the trip. Make sure your services live up to your promotion, or your credibility with clients will suffer. • Studies have shown that if we have a problem with a company and that problem is dealt with to our satisfaction (or even our delight), we will be more loyal to that company than if we had never had a problem. A client’s complaint is your opportunity to show how much you care, and to go out of our way not only to correct the problem, but to offer the client that little something extra to compensate for their trouble. That client is not only likely to come back, but also to spread the good word that you treat your clients well. • Sadly, very few people in business fulfill their promises. Do suppliers, salespeople or professionals call back when they said they would? Do tradespeople come to your home to do the repairs when they promised? Do people return calls when their voicemail messages promise? Rarely. In this service-starved society, just returning calls on time gives you a competitive advantage. Customer service is accepted as a separate business discipline today, but I don’t see it that way. I believe it is part of everyone’s job, and should be written into job descriptions from the top of the organization to the bottom. Despite all efforts to systemize and measure customer service and satisfaction, it’s really very simple. All people want is to feel valued. Your client is saying, “Don’t do me any favours. I’m paying for this service, so please perform it as if I mattered to you.” The client’s perception is the only thing that matters. Hello poor service, goodbye client! © 2004 Helen Wilkie All Rights Reserved. You may reprint this article for your online or print publication so long as you include the complete article and the following paragraph: Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker, consultant and author who helps companies do better business through better communication. Her latest book is "The Hidden Profit Center". To received free monthly tips and techniques on communication, visit http://www.mhwcom.com or http://www.HiddenProfitCenter.com and sign up for "Communi-keys". Reach Helen Wilkie at 416-966-5023 or hwilkie@mhwcom.com |
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