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· Misc

Statistics, quotes and a few facts - part 2


To continue on with some statistics, quotes or facts found on the Internet and other places. This week, I thought looking at what customers think...so you can also think about your organization.

Let’s start with that quote:

Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will.” Kate Zabriskie

Well, it speaks for itself, doesn’t’ it? Here are a few other interesting ones:

We are so accustomed to bad customer service that we don’t know when we’re getting it...

...and when you get great service, you really notice it! Not sure exactly where and when I heard this phrase however I never stopped using it. Satisfaction is no longer required, delighting them is the new level of service.

Some customers are savvy and can appreciate good service. On the other hand, there are many who seem to “accept” the service they receive without evaluating whether it was good or not. This might backfire at you as:

For every customer complaint, there are 26 customers who have remained silent.

As a customer, do you pay attention to the service you get? I’ll bet that if we play back the video when you interacted with a service provider, you would realize that, finally, this could have been better. Why accept a lower level of service when you know that there is a lot of competition, right? That, as a service provider, worries me.

We don’t always need to evaluate the service we get. Sometimes it is good, even sane, to let go. On the flip side, do you want to have less than what you paid for?


When customers share their story, they’re not just sharing pain points. They’re actually teaching you how to make your product, service, and business better. Your customer service organization should be designed to efficiently communicate those issues. “Kristin Smaby” “Being Human is Good Business”

In reality, they are telling you how to improve your business. Free advice! Take it and run with it. Seriously, look at those recommendations and see how it fits in your business model, your operations and your goals. No, not all stories need to be applied however listening to their point of view, looking at your set-up from a different perspective is a great way to use such good information to improve.

That brings up the following question: what is the #1 skill all should have when providing customer service (or sales, that is!): listening. We teach three different listening methods in our trainings: competitive or combative, passive or attentive and active or reflective. The latter one is, of course, the most effective and the only one to use!

With this next statistic, who is not listening here?

80% of companies say they deliver “superior” customer service. Yet, 8% of people think these same companies deliver “superior” “customer service. “Customer Service Hell” by Brad Tuttle, Time, 2011


What causes such disconnect? Are they just great theories for the boardroom? What is required for the top management to send the right message to the break rooms? We communicate programs and maybe not it’s intent. Nice to have great posters, celebrations and rewards but do we effectively change behaviours?

Such difference between the perceptions partly lies in a lack of information that generates only short-term gains.

For long term, lasting solutions, you need to support your employees in giving them what they need so they go in the right direction. What does “superior” customer service mean? Do you have a plan to make them grow - personally and professionally? If the staff is not delivering the same message it either means that they do not believe in it or that they do not understand it.

When time comes to do your budget for the next year, plan for your staff’s development. You will quickly reap the rewards!

Francis Prézeau
Owner/President
f.prezeau@signaturecanada.ca
Phone: 514-923- 8155
signaturecanada.ca

Francis Prézeau

Signature Canada is a leader in training employees to deliver legendary customer service while increasing sales. Since 1986, Signature’s unique training methodology has provided a measurable ROI for our customers, compelling them to return year after year. www.signaturecanada.ca