4 Lessons In Customer Service
Those that have been following some of my tweets during the last week will know that I have been searching for a new laptop. On top of this, I’ve also upgraded my broadband, making this a week where I have dealt with my fair share of sales people and customer service reps.
I always enjoy major purchase shopping, because it lets me negotiate and hammer a sales person (metaphorically of course!) until I get the deal I want. I spent time in four different stores negotiating, along with a friend who was also in the market, thinking that the promise of buying two would buy greater leverage.
Safe to say that with so much exposure to customer service, I experienced some wildly varying degrees of it, and it amazes me how simple things seem to be overlooked when it comes to trying to close a sale. There are a number of lessons here that can be applied to your online business, and if you will indulge me I will use my experience this week to illustrate. As an online business owner, just because you are not in the customers physical presence, doesn’t mean that their customer service experience should be any different. Remember, the social web makes it very easy to spread the word about bad customer service.
Lesson 1
At store 1, we found a model that seemed to have pretty much everything we needed. After dismissing the retail price (as is always my first instinct), we began the process of negotiation. We were clearly in a position to buy, yet three times during the negotiations, the salesman excused himself to go and help two other sales staff assemble a display on the other side of the store. Ultimately, we ended up walking away for two reasons – firstly, the price wasn’t right, but more to the point, we had been left alone too many times during the buying process.
This unplanned “thinking music” led us to two conclusions – this salesman is obviously not overly concerned about making the sale, but also that the machine may not be the right one.
It’s important to understand when your customers are going to buy. It’s difficult to read buying signals online, but there is always a point they get to in your site when they are ready to buy. Make sure that you make this area easy to navigate and easy to find help from. Don’t leave your customers alone at the point of purchase. Leaving them stranded gives them time to reconsider, and niggling doubt is enough to kill a sale. Make sure they have all the information they need to hand so the decision to push the pay button is an easy one.
Lesson 2
In store 2, we spent 15 minutes browsing the store and looking at all their models. Despite a number of fly-by’s from staff, no one seemed interested in serving us, so again, out the door we went.
Don’t let your customer wander aimlessly when they come to your site. Easy navigation, clear calls to action and prominent placement of offers should always make it easy for someone to find what they want and get help with it where they can.
Lesson 3
In store 3, we found a guy who really knew his stuff. He took the time to ask what we needed in a system, something we hadn’t been asked previously.We had found a model that was higher spec and even better suited to our needs, however because it was more expensive than budgeted, he took use through a dozen different models to try and find one that still suited. He was really up front – he didn’t have the model in stock, so we would need to pick up from another store, and when we asked about software, he again took time to understand the requirements and suggested the cheapest possible solution. Ultimately, we got him to a price point the same as store number 1, but on a much better model.
As an online business owner, taking the time to understand what your customers want can pay dividends. As humans, people expect to be treated as individuals and have their needs and wants met. The online consumer is no different – not all buyers are created equal. Make sure that you offer alternatives for people, and make these alternatives very easy to find, otherwise they will go elsewhere. Remember though, that these alternatives need not be just price based. It is not always the key decision driver.
Lesson 4
In store 4 at 5pm (closing time), we gave the reluctant sales rep, who already had his coat on, the oppportunity to make one last sale of two laptops for the day. After giving him the price he had to beat from store 2, he came back with a price $100 more than what we gave him. When we said it was higher than what we needed it to be, he simply shrugged and then proceeded to leave for the day. While we were still there.
The lesson here – the web doesn’t shut. It’s a 24/7, 365 day a year store. Whenever a customer needs to ask a question, make a purchase or needs help in any way, you need processes to deal with it. An FAQ on your site to answer common questions is one method. If your budget extends to it, staff that people can chat with on the phone, IM or email are another. Make information about your lines of enquiry clear and easy to find, and regardless of what time it is, or how big the sale is, treat it as just as important as every other transaction.
The Final Lesson
As an addendum to the story, I also ended up upgrading my broadband service. I spent a half hour on the phone, and mostly for the reason that “the computers are a bit slow today” – this would have to be the most common excuse I hear whenever I speak to a Customer Service person on the phone. Customers don’t want excuses, they want solutions. If the “computers are slow” that often, have a back up plan – have the information in hard copy that you can refer to, or an alternative on hand to offer the customer.
The Wash Up
Ultimately, I ended up buying from shop number 3. For those in the market for a new computer, make sure you speak to Mark at JB Hi-Fi at Macquarie Shopping Centre in Sydney. Because he took the time to understand my needs and make sure that I wasn’t paying for anything I didn’t need, I ended up spending more than I had planned. I got a great deal and he got a big sale. It’s win/win.
Related posts:
- Excuses Are Not A Customer Service Policy
- Twitter as a Customer Service Tool
- Managing Your Online Business Reputation
- Extend The Experience, Don’t Just Duplicate
- Do AdWords and AdSense AdUp for Your Online Business?
Tags: Best Practice, Customer Service, lessons, reputation management, Social Media
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