Sit Customer Sit - "How did customers get so trained?"Written by Rene' Jones
“I need that shipped overnight!” “I need that delivered today!” “Drop it off to me on your way home?” “I do not want to pay a Restocking charge!”Do these all sound familiar? I‘d be willing to bet you can come up with a book full of things your customers expect. But where do they get audacity to expect, sometimes unreasonable? Right from you! Your competitors did not raise customer service bar, you did. Everyday your call center personnel make promises to customers that raise bar even higher. But isn’t that what you want? Don’t you want your people to respond wonderfully to those, “Moments of Truth?” Your people are merely doing what they have been taught, just like your customers. How do you respond to an irate customer who received an incorrect shipment? Don’t we ship product Next Day Air to make up for error? Or maybe, we drop everything and make a special delivery to them. How do we respond to a customer who has ordered incorrect item? We often handle it same way as when it is our mistake. We do not want to upset a customer, especially in today’s market. Therefore we are training customer to think, whenever there is an error it will be resolved free of charge. The question that must be asked is, “What is problem with this?” Nothing, if you or your customers don’t make a lot of mistakes. How is your warehouse these days? I have been told these are hard times? Is that true for your company or your industry? If these are truly difficult times doesn’t that mean every mistake costs you dearly? Doesn’t that also mean each mistake costs your customer even more? You are probably asking yourself, how this article shifted to your warehouse so quickly. Think about it, a shipping error is magnified in economic downturns. Why? Because, if your customer has been thinking of changing suppliers now is time to do it. Or at least fake like they are going to change so they can get a deeper discount. Again, customer training process takes place. Shipping is last non verbal way we communicate to our customers. What are you communicating to your customers? Your Marketing material, your Website, your Catalogue are all tools to get you new business. Your warehouse is one tool you have to maintain your current level of business. If you don’t believe that ask yourself this question, “How many of your customers do your sales personnel visit on a regular basis?” Think about “Pareto Principal”, not many! That means your customers perception of your company is formed from packages that arrive at their receiving dock. What do you think they perceive? This month’s focus, “Is Customer Loyalty a Thing of Past”, is an interesting one. Customer loyalty began fading when the, “Mom and Pop” shop, got to big to know customer. Loyalty is quickly becoming a thing of past with evolution of internet. The customer doesn’t need to know who they are buying from. They just want: what they ordered, when it was promised and for a competitive price. If they decide to buy from you next time it will be based on whether you did at least two of things I just mentioned. If not, you have just trained them to buy someplace else. Is that being disloyal, “I do not think so!” Being a consumer I choose to do business with company that meets my needs. I will only give my hard earned dollars to organization that gets me what I want, when I want it and at a competitive price. This means your warehouse is training your customers to be, “Loyal or Lethal”. Many individuals will continue to patronize you place of business even if price is a little high. But they will only do this if their other two needs are being met. If your competitor does not have an accurate inventory therefore does not deliver on time, you have an advantage when price becomes an issue. However, if your sales personnel train them to expect a lower price for business, what happens when you cannot beat competitions price? You don’t have a leg to stand on. Your company does not compete for business you get, “Your Warehouse Does!” Your company does not lose customers, “Your Warehouse Does!” Your company can no longer afford to look outward for answers to keep your customers loyal; it has to look inward at your warehouse.
| | How to Conduct a MeetingWritten by Susan Dunn, MA Clinical Psychology, The EQ Coach
For many of us attending a meeting is right up there with a root canal.If you’re one in charge of meetings, use these EQ competencies to create better ones. A meeting, after all, is a microcosm of your business and philosophy. INTENTIONALITY Intentionality means accepting responsibility for your actions and motives. Always ask yourself, Why am I having this meeting? Could this be done better another way? Meetings exist for different reasons – sharing information, receiving instructions, planning, crisis management, socializing, process. Define reason for meeting, share this information, and stick with it. This goes to credibility. Avoid anathema of productivity and morale, “Because we’ve always done it this way.” Check in with your thoughts, opinions and feelings before you start meeting to make sure you’re centered and will be doing what you intend to do. PERSONAL POWER Running a meeting is not a committee affair. Someone needs to be in charge. The leader sets tone in attitude as well. People will seek opportunity to test limits, upstage, divert, entertain and manipulate instead of staying on-task. The first time you allow this to happen, you set precedence, and lose credibility. RESPECT Respect for everyone – their time, opinions, contributions and feelings. If you hold off starting til Paul arrives, you establish precedent that meeting doesn’t start at 10, it stars when Paul gets there, because, by inference, he’s more important than others.
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