| In the world of customer service there is one reality | | | | In a feel bad business delivering quality service is more |
| you can't escape. Service is an emotional experience | | | | challenging. Someone breaks your windshield, |
| and you want to embrace it. There I said it; service is | | | | vandalizes your home or you have a flat tire. It is a |
| not a logical but rather an emotional experience. You | | | | total inconvenience, costs you money and when the |
| want to understand the ramifications of each emotion | | | | broken item is fixed, it merely returns to its original |
| and how each impacts the moments of truth with your | | | | form. Although meeting service expectations is always |
| customers. | | | | difficult it is more so in feel bad businesses. These |
| I always get a kick out of those you try and apply logic | | | | customers are unhappy before they make contact. |
| to customer service. They love to hang up the | | | | Most customers don't get excited when something |
| numbers. I was in a car dealership, a painful experience | | | | breaks or worse still is broken by someone else. That |
| most of the time. Sometimes after going to car lots I'd | | | | is unless you think customers act in the following |
| feel so dirty I'd have to shower as soon as I got home. | | | | manner. |
| I was in this dealership that was decorated with | | | | Picture this. One night some dirt bag puts a knife in |
| customer service slogans. One sign bragged of a 96% | | | | your tire. You look outside the next morning and think |
| customer approval rating. When I asked the manager | | | | to yourself "What an opportunity. I can go down to my |
| what that meant he told me that only 4% of the | | | | local tire shop and spend some money. I can sit in that |
| dealerships customers complained. Are you kidding | | | | dirty, cluttered sitting area and listen to the shrieking |
| me? I was born at night but not last night! Do you think | | | | sound of air tools. If I'm lucky they'll have some of that |
| they always tell you? When they tell you you're lucky; | | | | black tar they call coffee. Maybe they'll have some of |
| when they tell others you won't be. The silent killer of | | | | that white, powdered crap and some hard sugar |
| your business is out to get you. | | | | cubes as well. I might choose an old porcelain cup |
| Delivering quality service that meets or exceeds you | | | | imbedded with grease or perhaps I'll have one of those |
| customer's expectations is more challenging now than | | | | plastic cups. That way I can drink coffee and feel like |
| ever before. I realize that your business is unique. I | | | | I'm flossing my teeth at the same time. While I'm |
| have worked in many industries to find customer | | | | waiting I'll go into the washroom that looks like a |
| service solutions. From a customer service | | | | breeding ground for the next pandemic. Perhaps if I |
| perspective I believe there are two kinds of service | | | | bring my daughter and we can look through the dirty |
| businesses. I refer to them as simply 'feel good' and | | | | glass at all the pornography stapled to the walls". Do |
| 'feel bad'. The feel good businesses sell or service | | | | you get my point? |
| vacations, dinner, jewellery, real estate, automobiles | | | | What kind of business are you in? You may be in a |
| and other forms of retail therapy. In a feel good | | | | 'feel good' business or you may be in a 'feel bad' |
| business customers are generally excited to book that | | | | business' both have one thing in common. In each case |
| cruise, buy that diamond ring, buying that new car or | | | | customer service is an emotional reaction. |
| look forward to that special dinner on Saturday night. | | | | Emotions aren't like numbers, they are harder to |
| It takes a lot more effort to make a customer | | | | manipulate and considerably more difficult to manage. |
| unhappy in a feel good business. You have to let the | | | | The next time your spouse asks you how much you |
| phone ring forever, answer the phone like you don't | | | | love her tell her on a scale of one to ten she's a |
| care, put customers on hold without asking permission. | | | | seven. Then watch the emotional reaction you'll get. |
| When they come in you need to avoid them and act | | | | Emotions are much less predictable and usually |
| like they don't exist. When they line up you have to | | | | spontaneous. These emotions happen in the now and |
| pretend they are invisible. You also must avoid smiling. | | | | your ability to prepare for, and manage these |
| Some service people are really good at that. Then if | | | | emotions, will ultimately define your service success. In |
| they complain you must act like you don't care. I've | | | | my next article we'll get into the emotions customers |
| seen many stores in the feel good business that has | | | | feel and how can structure your service strategy |
| perfected this. I'll bet you have as well. | | | | more effectively. I'll see you then. |